Key Takeaways:
- You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies — TransUnion®, Equifax and Experian — each week at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Regular reviews of your credit reports will help you understand your credit health and can help you spot potential fraud.
- Inaccuracies can be disputed for free with each of the credit reporting agencies.
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Reviewing your credit report is an important part of managing your credit health. Checking your credit reports regularly helps you ensure the information reported is accurate and gives you an opportunity to monitor your accounts for potential identity theft.
Where to get your credit report for free
The three nationwide credit reporting agencies— TransUnion, Equifax and Experian — are required by federal law to provide you with a free annual credit report. The website AnnualCreditReport.com was created by the credit reporting agencies to provide you with your annual credit reports.
While federal law allows you to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months, TransUnion and the other credit reporting agencies offer free weekly credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Why information is different in your credit reports
The information in your credit reports may differ, so it’s good practice to review all three. Lenders may choose to provide updates to one, two or all three credit reporting agencies. While much of the information overlaps, there may be some differences, depending on where lenders choose to report their information.
Credit scores are calculated using information in your credit report, and there are different credit scoring models. So, don’t be alarmed if you see slightly different credit scores when using different services. Credit score factors tend to be similar across credit scoring models, though some models may place more weight on certain types of information in their calculations. Below is an example of the VantageScore® 3.0 credit score factors. When you receive a credit score from TransUnion, it is a VantageScore® 3.0 credit score.
Credit Score Factors
Here are the factors that make up a VantageScore® 3.0 credit score and their relative impact:
- Payment history
- Utilization
- Balances
- Depth of credit
- Recent credit
- Available credit
What should I look for in my credit report?
When reviewing your credit report, check that all the information listed is accurate. Pay close attention to account information, like your payment history, account statuses and balances. Know that lenders tend to provide updates to your credit report once a month, so if you made a payment recently that isn’t reflected in your credit report, it may just need some time to update. If you find something you believe to be inaccurate, you can dispute it for free.
Each credit reporting agency has its own dispute process, so if you see an inaccuracy on multiple reports, you will need to dispute with each credit reporting agency individually.
Pro Tip:
Before submitting a dispute, it may be a good idea to contact the lender that reported the account information. They can provide more details related to the account.
An important part of reviewing your credit report is making sure you haven’t been a victim of fraud. If you see accounts or inquiries you don’t recognize, it could be someone who has your information and is trying to open an account in your name. If you suspect you’ve been a victim of identity theft, consider adding a credit freeze and/or fraud alert to your credit report. Both are free and may add a layer of protection to your credit report.
You can use TransUnion’s Fraud Victim Resources as you work towards recovery from identity theft.
Free TransUnion credit report
You can get your TransUnion credit report for free each week at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Your TransUnion credit report may include the following sections:
- Personal information – Personal details Transunion has on file that lenders may use to verify your identity
- Public records – Any bankruptcies listed on your credit report
- Accounts with Adverse Information – Any accounts with late payments or defaults
- Satisfactory accounts – Accounts in good standing, whether open or closed
- Collections – Accounts that are in collections and may now be managed by a collection agency
- Inquiries – Your TransUnion report will show regular inquiries (hard inquiries), account review inquiries (soft inquiries) and promotional inquiries (soft inquiries)
- Consumer Statement – This section allows you to add a written statement to provide context to your financial history
For help understanding these sections on your TransUnion credit report, you can read our credit report guide.
FAQs
What’s a credit report?
Your credit report is a record of your financial history. It includes hard credit inquiries, open and closed credit accounts, payment history and bankruptcies (if applicable). It also contains personal information such as your current and former address(es), names and employers. By reviewing and managing your credit report regularly, you can help ensure you're accurately represented in the modern economy so you can get the credit opportunities you desire.
What information is on a credit report?
A credit report includes your personal information, like your date of birth, current and former addresses, names and employers, public records which include bankruptcies, open and closed credit accounts, collections and credit inquiries. If you choose to add a consumer statement to your credit report, it will appear on it as well.
How does information get on my credit report?
When you have a financial account with a lender, they may submit account information to at least one of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies — TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. That information includes information about your account such as statuses and balances, as well as personal information such as name, address, employer and Social Security number. Additionally, when a lender checks your credit report in response to a credit application you submitted, that hard inquiry may be reported to the credit reporting agencies and show up on your credit report.
How often does my credit report get updated?
Many lenders send updates to the credit reporting agencies every 30 days, but it may take up to 45 days. However, some lenders may send updates more frequently than this. You can ask them how often they do so.
It’s also important to note that lenders report at different times of the month, so you might see slight differences in your reports, and therefore your credit scores, at any given time.
Does checking my credit report hurt my credit score?
Don’t worry, checking your own credit report is considered a soft inquiry – and those don’t affect your score.
