Credit & reportsPractical guide · updated for 2026
How to Get Your Free Credit Reports From the Three Bureaus
In the United States you can request a report from each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at AnnualCreditReport.com, the site the federal law names. Read all three, because they often differ.
Have this ready
- Your identification details
- Previous addresses from the last few years
- A secure device to download and store the PDFs
Step by step
- 1Go to AnnualCreditReport.com by typing the address, and avoid lookalike sites that charge a fee.
- 2Request one report from each bureau and save each as a PDF.
- 3Check your name, addresses, employers and account numbers for anything unfamiliar.
- 4Look for late payments you do not recognise, accounts that are not yours and duplicate collections.
- 5Note the dispute process printed on each report and the bureau's address.
- 6Set a reminder to repeat the check later in the year.
- 7If you find identity theft, place a fraud alert or freeze and follow the identity theft reporting steps.
Want it done with you?
I can walk you through it in a Magic Box, show you the exact clicks, or do it with you and keep the recording. You log in yourself; I never see your password.
Common questions
Do the three bureaus show the same information?+
No. Lenders report to different bureaus, so an account may appear on one report and not another. Check all three.
Does checking my own report lower my score?+
No. Checking your own report is a soft enquiry and does not affect your score.
What can I do about an error?+
File a dispute with the bureau that shows the error and, separately, with the company that supplied the data. Keep copies of everything you send.