How Many Ways Can I Get Free Copies of My Credit Reports?

There are plenty of ways to see your credit reports for free, meaning there’s no excuse to ignore this all-important credit management tool, during the credit repair process and beyond. Take a look and take advantage of them all.

1) Go to AnnualCreditReport.com

The law entitles you to see copies of your credit reports for free every 12 months from all three major credit reporting bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

The official site to make this request is AnnualCreditReport.com. You don’t have to request all three reports at once, though, which gives you an opportunity to keep an eye on things throughout the year. For instance, you might request your Experian report in January, your Equifax report in May, and your TransUnion report in September.

2) Sign up for free online credit monitoring services

You can keep an even closer eye on your credit reports through free credit monitoring sites like WalletHub, Quizzle, Credit Karma, and Credit Sesame. Just keep in mind that, though these sites are free, you will need to provide them with the necessary personal information for them to access your credit reports.

UPDATE: Many free credit monitoring sites won’t work if you have freezes on your credit reports (recommended in the wake of the Equifax hack). Credit Karma is an exception.

3) When you’re turned down for credit

If you receive notice that you’ve been turned down for credit, you have a right to see the credit report the creditor used to make its decision. The notification of declined credit should include instructions for requesting a copy of the report from the relevant credit bureau.

4) When you need to verify a report reflects the resolution of a disputed listing

If you dispute a negative listing on a credit report AND you’re notified that it will be corrected accordingly, you have the right to verify that the change has been made. To make this request, contact the appropriate credit reporting bureau.

Need help interpreting your credit reports? Here’s what you’re looking for.