Your credit report is the file that lenders read. It is kept by three nationwide bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. By law you can get a free copy from each, and checking them is the best protection against errors and identity theft.
Getting your reports
Go to the official site
Use AnnualCreditReport.com. It is the central site for the free reports, run with the three bureaus.
Verify your identity
You will answer questions only you should know. Never enter your details on lookalike sites.
Download and read each report
Save a copy of each one, since they can differ.
The four parts of a report
Personal details
Name, addresses, date of birth and employers. Check for mistakes or places you never lived.
Accounts
Cards, loans and other credit: limits, balances and your payment record.
Inquiries
Who has looked at your file. Hard inquiries show lenders you applied.
Public records and collections
Collection accounts and, in some cases, court records.
What to check
Looks normal
- Accounts you opened and recognize
- Balances and limits that match your statements
- Late marks that you know about
Look into it
- An account or address you do not recognize
- A balance or late mark that is wrong
- Hard inquiries from lenders you never contacted
If you find an error, see disputing credit report errors. If you find an account you did not open, see credit freezes and fraud alerts.
A simple yearly routine
Pull one report every four months from a different bureau, so you see all three through the year.
Compare the account list with the cards and loans you know about.
Note any new hard inquiries, and ask yourself whether you made each application.
Save the files in a private place, and delete old copies.
If something looks wrong
Start with the lender if the error is in an account's details, and with the bureau for anything that is not yours. For accounts you did not open, also place a fraud alert or a freeze.
Why it is worth the effort
Errors in credit files are more common than people expect. A wrong address can mix your file with someone else's, a paid account can still show a balance, and a thief can open a card in your name months before you notice. A yearly check costs nothing, takes less than half an hour and is the earliest warning system you have. Put it on your calendar next to your tax return.
Questions people ask
Does ordering my report affect my score?
No. Requesting your own report is a soft inquiry and does not change your score.
Which bureau should I check?
All three. Lenders may report to only some of them, so the files can differ.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 5, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.