Who Are the Three National Credit Bureaus?

There are three national credit bureaus in the United States. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FRCA, states that all three credit reporting bureaus must provide you with a free credit report once every 12 months. The Fair Issac Company, or FICO, credit scores can range from 300 to 850. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the three credit bureaus do not share files with each other so you must contact each one individually to obtain all three credit reports, or you can order them through the Annual Credit Report website (see Resources).

Equifax

Equifax is one of the three national credit bureaus. According to the Federal Trade Commission, to request a copy of your free credit report you "need to provide your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address."

Experian

Experian is another national credit bureau. To request a credit report from Experian, visit their website. Request a copy of your credit score to monitor the financial transactions conducted with your Social Security number.

TransUnion

Transunion is the third national credit bureau. Visit its website to request a free copy of your credit report.