Free Credit Reports Online
Everyone can receive free credit reports online from each of the 3 major credit bureaus every 12 months. You should take advantage of this privilege and order your free annual credit reports to monitor your credit history, check for errors and defend yourself against identity theft.How to View Your Free Credit Reports Online?
The three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion & Equifax) have put up a central site that enables consumers to view their free credit reports online.
The site is called Free Annual Credit Report Request Service (www.annualcreditreport.com). It is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), perfectly safe and it’s the ONLY place to get your free annual credit reports from. See Free Government Credit Report for more information.
When you order your free credit reports from the Annual Credit Report Request Service, you get immediate access to them. You can view your reports online, download or print them. You can order a separate report from just a single credit bureau of your choice, or you can order a combined report from all 3 major credit bureaus (A.K.A. 3 in 1 Credit Report). Most people order a combined report because it’s much easier to check compared to three single-bureau credit report.
In addition to providing free credit reports online, the Annual Credit Report Request Service provides consumers with two additional ways for ordering their free annual credit reports: over the phone or by mail.
Keep in mind that although each of the 3 major credit bureaus also sells credit reports to consumers on their websites, these reports are NOT part of your government mandated annual free credit report and are not free.
Personal Information Scams Warning
There are plenty of scam websites that attempt to steal your personal information.
The Annual Credit Report Request Service will not call or send you an email asking for personal information. If you do receive such a request – DO NOT respond to it!
You should also avoid using any other website that advertize “Free Credit Reports“, “Free Credit Scores” or other popular search terms. Most are imposter sites that either try to steal information from you, or charge you a fee for a service that’s free by law!