How to Get a Real Credit Report

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, requires the three credit bureaus Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, to issue every citizen a free copy of her credit report once a year. Request a copy of your credit if you have recently been denied credit, as well. There are a lot of scam websites that offer you a free credit report, but then charge you a monthly fee to monitor your credit. Get the real deal by going to the right site.

Instructions

1

Visit the website AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the official site to get a free credit report.

2

Select your state from the drop down menu. Press the "Request Report" button.

3

Enter your identifying information. This is your address, birth date and Social Security number. If you have lived at your address for less than two years, enter your previous address. There will also be a security text to make sure that you are a real person or you may have to enter your phone number to verify by phone. Click "Continue."

4

Verify your identity. The site will then ask you a question to verify your identity. Typically, it will give you a choice of different addresses or cities and ask which one you've lived in. One option is "None of these." Select the correct answer and choose "Continue."

5

Choose the credit report that you want to see. Choose from the three credit reporting agencies. You can view them all, but not at the same time.

6

Decide whether to pay to see your credit score. While it's free to see your credit report, you will have to pay to see your credit score. You'll be given the option to pay to see it or to continue to your report. Once you've made this selection, view the report.

7

View the report from a different credit agency. When you've finished looking at the first credit report, you can return to the bureau selection screen and view a different report.