How to View a Credit Report

There are many reasons to view your credit report. One of the most important is to verify that your identity has not been stolen and your credit report is accurate. You can view your credit report online or order it in the mail. Credit reports may be viewed free annually, by paying for each separately or ordering a 3-in-1 credit bureau report or by ordering credit-monitoring services. You also may view your report by initiating a dispute online.

Instructions

1

View your annual free credit report at annualcreditreport.com. This website is managed by all three credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and provides consumers with free access to their credit reports once a year. Enter the requested personal information.You also will be required to answer a security question about your past financial history, such as "What bank did you take out a car loan with in 1995?" You will be able to view one credit bureau's report at a time. Make sure you print your report because you will not be able to review it again without paying. You may write your request for your free annual credit reports. If requesting by mail, make sure to write or type your personal information and send to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5281
1-877-322-8228

2

Order your credit report directly from the credit bureaus. All three credit bureaus will sell you your credit report for a fee. Experian and Equifax charge a flat rate. TransUnion does not sell individual credit reports without the purchase of other products such as credit monitoring. All three credit bureaus will sell you your report cheaper if you order other products such as their credit-monitoring services. All will sell you a 3-Credit Bureau, or 3-in-1 Online Report, for $29.95 or more depending on the bureau. You can opt to have your credit report sent to you by mail or view and print it online. You must enter your personal information and enter your credit or debit card details to process your order.

3

View your credit report through a third-party vendor such as FreeCreditReport, Credit and myFico. Many of these vendors, with the exception of myFico, will allow you to view your credit report in exchange for purchasing or signing up for a free trial of their credit-monitoring service. MyFico is the official website of the Fair Issac Corporation (FICO).

4

Check your record carefully to determine if you need to dispute an entry on your credit report. To initiate a dispute with any of the credit bureaus, go directly to the bureau's website and select the Dispute option. The bureau will give you access to your report so you can select the entry you would like to dispute. You can change your mind at any time and select not to dispute.