You can get a free credit report. But do you know how to read and understand it? This interactive guide will help. First we'll look at how to acquire your report, then how to read and understand it once you get it.
Everyone is entitled by law to look at their credit report from each of the three credit bureaus once every 12 months free of charge, or you can buy a credit report from each of the three bureaus if you want to view your report more often.
The three large U.S. credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – were required by a 2003 federal law to set up AnnualCreditReport.com as a central online resource for report requests. You can also request your reports by calling 877-322-8228 or by downloading a request form and mailing it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Upon visiting AnnualCreditReport.com, users are directed to a form page and asked to provide personal identifying information, including name and address, Social Security number and date of birth.
After submitting your basic information, you go to a page allowing you to select reports from the three large credit bureaus by checking boxes next to the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion logos. You can select one or all of the credit bureaus. Instructions discuss whether you should review all three reports immediately, or whether you should spread the requests over a period of time.
The next step is designed to verify your identity. A page of questions appears about your creditors, loan terms or other details on the credit report that you're expected to know. You need to select the correct answers get access to the credit report. The AnnualCredit.Report.com site is integrated with the websites of the credit bureaus, making the transition from one to the other seamless. After requesting one report, you may return to the main site to repeat the process with another credit bureau.
If you use up your free credit report and want to check again for some reason, you can pay about $20 for each report. Or, you can get a free TransUnion credit report from CreditCards.com
Many consumers have a difficult time understanding their credit reports and piecing the three reports together, so here are examples and explanations of the most common elements that appear in each of the three free credit bureau reports. Roll over the information icon (
) for explanations.
| Personal information |
|
|---|---|
| Name: JOE Q. CONSUMER Other names: CONSUMER, JOSEPH Q. Report number: XXXXXXX Report date: April 4, 2017 |
SSN: XXX-XX-6789 |
| CURRENT ADDRESS: 123 MAIN ST., NEW YORK, NY 12345 |
PREVIOUS ADDRESSES: 17 BROOKLYN AVE., LONG ISLAND, NY 56789 |
| EMPLOYMENT DATA REPORTED Employer name: CREDITCARDS.COM Location: New York, NY Date reported: 06/2012 Employer name: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS Location: TX Date reported: 08/2008 |
Position: PROGRAMMER Hired: 05/2011 Position: Hired: 03/2007 |
| Public records |
||
|---|---|---|
| ROCKWELL MUNICIPAL Docket#: 9B004875 | ||
| 5468 MLK AVE., SUITE 300, ROCKWELL, TX 97845 |
Type: Civil judgment |
Date filed: 12/2011 |
| Estimated date that this item will be removed 07/2019 |
||
Adverse accounts, potentially negative items  |
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|---|---|---|
| COLLECTION RECOVERY SVC #321568 | ||
| 123 CHARLES ST. SUITE 202 CORONA, CA 92877-0137 (909) 898-4424 |
Balance: $0 Date verified: 06/2011 Original balance: $243 Original creditor: SEARS ROEBUCK Credit limit: $500 Past due: $0 Terms: $72 for 23 months |
Pay status: Payment after charge off/collection Account type: Installment account Responsibility: Individual account Date opened: 03/2008 Date closed: 05/2014 Date paid: 05/2014 |
| Remarks: >Paid collection< Estimated date that this item will be removed: 05/2021 |
||
| DONOVAN & WILSON | ||
| 1045 MAIN ST., SUITE 105 RIVERSIDE, CA 92501 (909) 781-1248 |
Balance: $12,745 Date updated: 06/2011 Original balance: $15,243 |
Pay status: 120 days past due Account type: Revolving account Responsibility: Individual account |
| Estimated date that this item will be removed: 06/2018 | ||
| The following item is suppressed pending credit grantor update: DISCOVER FINANCIAL SVC #6053000570658798 |
||
| 123 SMITH AVE. UNIT 55G WILMINGTON, DE 19850-5316 Phone number not available |
Balance: $2,145 Date updated: 08/2012 High balance: $25,463 Collateral: 2002 Chevy Past due: $136 Terms: $68 for 260 months |
Pay status: 60 days past due Account type: Installment account Responsibility: Individual account Date opened: 11/2002 |
| Loan type: Student loan Remarks: Repossession Maximum delinquency of 60 days in 07/2012 for $400 Estimated date that this item will be removed: 06/2019 |
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| Accounts in good standing, satisfactory accounts |
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|---|---|---|
| GMAC FINANCING #640006137129 | ||
| 78901 JENKINS CIR FLOOR 15 MIAMI, FL 33025 Phone number not available |
Balance: $1,145 Date updated: 08/2017 High balance: $10,000 Collateral: 2009 Dodge Ram Credit limit: $10,000 Past due: $0 Terms: $295 for 36 months |
Pay status: Pays as agreed
Account type: Installment account Responsibility: Individual account Date opened: 11/2013 Date closed: 11/2016 Date paid: 11/2016 |
| Loan type: Automobile Remarks: Paid by insurance Estimated date that this item will be removed: 12/2023 |
||
| Revolving accounts |
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|---|---|---|---|
| CAPITAL ONE | |||
| P.O. Box 30281 Salt Lake City, UT 841300281 |
|||
| Account Number: | 400XXXXXXXXXXXX | Pay | Pays as agreed |
| Account owner: | Individual account | High credit: | $4,304 |
| Type of account | Revolving | Credit limit | $10,500 |
| Date opened: | 06/08/2010 | Balance: | $965 |
| 81-month payment history
|
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| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Historical account information
|
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| 03/2017 | 02/2017 | 01/2017 | 12/2016 | 11/2016 | 10/2016 | |
| Balance | 965 | 1095 | 2336 | 1161 | 1268 | 950 |
| Scheduled payment amount | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Actual payment amount | 1095 | 2336 | 1161 | 1268 | 950 | 744 |
| Date of last payment | 02/2015 | 01/2015 | 12/2014 | 12/2014 | 10/2014 | 09/2014 |
| Months before 10/2016 are not shown. | ||||||
| Credit history requests |
||
|---|---|---|
| CALTECH EMPLOYEE FCU | ||
| 555 W. ADAMS SUITE 202 LA CANADA, CA 91012 (818) 555-1212 |
Requested on: 11/01/2017 Inquiry type: Individual |
Permissible purpose: Credit transaction |
| SUNSHINE APARTMENTS via RENTPORT | ||
| 678 MARINE STREET SUITE 999 LOS ANGELES, CA 90210 (818) 555-1212 |
Requested on: 05/01/2016 Inquiry type: Individual Loan type: Real estate |
Permissible purpose: Tenant screening |
| CHASE CARD MEMBER SVCS | ||
| 666 W. SMITH PHOENIX, AZ 87853 Phone number not available |
Requested on: 11/01/2016 Inquiry type: Individual |
|
| Personal statement |
|---|
| ID SECURITY ALERT: FRAUDULENT APPLICATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED IN MY NAME OR MY IDENTITY MAY HAVE BEEN USED WITHOUT MY CONSENT TO FRAUDULENTLY OBTAIN GOODS OR SERVICES. DO NOT EXTEND CREDIT WITHOUT FIRST VERIFYING THE IDENTITY OF THE APPLICANT. I CAN BE REACHED AT 917-555-1212. THIS SECURITY ALERT WILL BE MAINTAINED FOR 90 DAYS BEGINNING 03-01-2017. |
See related: 10 things to know about credit scores, reports, FICO's five factors, Compare credit card signup bonuses
