You are entitled to see a free copy of your credit report every 12 months. While you can of course also call or write for your credit reports, that could mean waiting up to 15 days to receive your report. However, by going online, you will have instant access.
AnnualCreditReport.comTo look at your credit report, go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com. This website gives out this information free. It was set up by the three credit reporting bureaus, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, for this purpose.
Which Credit Report Do I Choose?You have a choice of three reports, one from each of the three credit bureaus. You are by law entitled to one from each bureau, but you do not have to look at all three at the same time. You could be better off looking at one now and checking back in four months to look at another. That way, you can check out your credit reports free three times a year and keep a close eye on what's being reported about you.
What Am I Going to See on My Credit Report?You're going to see information about your track record of paying your debts. These debts could include credit cards, retail accounts, car loans, bankruptcies, liens or wage garnishments. In addition you will see how much you owe, how much you credit you have, and the length of your credit history.
Other Credit Report Services
Some free credit report sites will include a monthly monitoring service in addition to a credit report. While this is completely legitimate and useful, it is not the same as getting a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. Instead, the service will offer credit monitoring in addition a free credit report. In a time of increased identity theft and fraud, some degree of credit monitoring is recommended, even if it costs a monthly fee. Keep in mind that no one can sell you your credit score - so any service claiming that may be fraudulent. The formula used to calculate it by any of the credit bureaus is not made public. You can, however, purchase an "educational" score, which uses the FICO method to weigh areas of your credit history and payment behavior to give you a score that is estimated to be close to the score you'd receive from someone looking into your rating.
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