Under federal law, you are entitled to a yearly free credit report from each of the three main nationwide consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You can request a free copy of each report once every 12 months.
You can request your free credit report(s) at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only official website to obtain your free credit report. Please be sure that you download and save each report; otherwise, you will lose access to it when you click to see the next report.
Download, print, and complete the Request Form. Then mail the completed form to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Your credit report should be mailed to you within 15 days
Call 1-877-322-8228. You will go through a verification process over the phone. Your credit report will be mailed to you.
There are many other consumer reporting agencies aside from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You have a right to a free annual credit report from each of these agencies as well. Each should provide information on their website regarding how you can request a free copy of your report. If you have trouble requesting your report from another consumer reporting agencies, feel free to contact us.
You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you are denied credit or you receive an adverse action letter wherein a credit decision was based on your credit report from a specific CRA. Examples of adverse actions include denied credit for car loans, personal loans, credit cards, housing, or employment; increased interest rates; reduced credit limit; and higher down payment or security deposit. If you face such adverse action, the company that took such action must provide you with a written notice explaining what credit reporting agency they used to help make their decision to deny you credit or other adverse action. You must request this report within 60 days from the date of the denial from the specific CRA.
If you notice inaccurate information reporting on your credit report, it is important to dispute the inaccurate information with the Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs). Start your dispute (add link to Start your dispute).
If you are unsure how to read your credit report and you would like help in reviewing your credit report, please contact us at 1-877-FCRA-LAW (1-877-327-2529), and we will be happy to assist you.
If you would like to read further about consumer reporting agencies and credit reports, we suggest you visit the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website here.