Where to get your credit score and report for free
You can get your credit score and full credit report at no cost from AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site run by the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This is the only site authorized by federal law to give you a free report from each bureau once per year.
When you visit the site, you'll enter your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. The site will ask which bureau you want to check first, then walk you through a verification step (usually security questions about your credit history). Within minutes, you'll see your report on screen and can read or print it.
Your credit score itself — the three-digit number lenders use to decide whether to lend to you — is not included in this free annual report. Many credit card companies, banks, and loan services now show your score for free in their online portals or mobile apps if you have an account with them. You can also buy your score directly from any of the three bureaus for roughly $10 to $20, though this is rarely necessary.
Key Takeaways
- AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized source for your free annual credit report from all three bureaus.
- You can check your report once per year from each bureau at no cost, or spread the three checks across the year to monitor changes.
- Your credit score is separate from your report and is often available free through your bank or credit card company's website or app.
- Your report lists all your open and closed accounts, payment history, and any negative marks like late payments or collections.
- Checking your own credit does not lower your score — only hard inquiries from lenders when you explore for credit do.
What information appears on your credit report
Your credit report is a record of your borrowing and payment history. It shows every credit account you've opened — credit cards, loans, mortgages, store cards — along with the account balance, credit limit, and whether you've paid on time. It also lists accounts you've closed, how long you've had each account, and the date you opened it.
The report includes negative marks that stay on your record for a set time: late payments (typically seven years from the missed payment date), collections accounts (seven years), foreclosures (seven years), and bankruptcies (seven to ten years depending on the type). It also shows hard inquiries — times when a lender checked your credit because you applied for a loan or card — which stay for two years.
At the bottom of your report, you'll see your personal information as the bureaus have it on file: your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. You may also see variations of your name or old addresses if you've moved or changed your name.
How to read your credit report for errors
Credit reports often contain mistakes. A payment marked late when you paid on time, an account listed twice, or an account that isn't yours are all common errors. When you pull your report, read through each account and verify that the information matches your own records.
Check the account names and balances against your statements. Look at the payment history — the row of months showing whether each payment was on time or late — and make sure it matches what you remember. If you see a late payment you don't recognize, or an account you never opened, that's a sign of error or fraud.
If you find an error, you can dispute it directly with the bureau that reported it. Most bureaus let you file a dispute online through their website, by mail, or by phone. You'll need to describe the error and provide documentation (a bank statement, a paid-off letter from the lender, or a copy of your loan agreement). The bureau then has 30 days to investigate and respond. If the error is confirmed, the bureau removes or corrects the information.
Understanding the difference between soft and hard inquiries
When you check your own credit, it's called a soft inquiry and does not affect your score at all. Soft inquiries also happen when a company you already do business with reviews your credit, or when a potential employer or landlord checks your credit with your permission.
A hard inquiry happens when you explore for credit — a credit card, auto loan, mortgage, or personal loan. The lender pulls your full credit report to decide whether to lend to you. Hard inquiries do lower your score slightly, usually by a few points, and stay on your report for two years. Multiple hard inquiries in a short time (within 14 to 45 days, depending on the scoring model) often count as a single inquiry, so shopping around for a mortgage or car loan in a short window won't hurt you as much as explore for several credit cards in the same month.
How often you should check your credit
You can check your credit as often as you want without penalty. Many people check once a year to look for errors and fraud. Others spread their three free annual reports across the year — checking one bureau every four months — to monitor their credit more regularly without paying.
You should check your credit more often if you're actively working to improve your score, if you've recently applied for a major loan, or if you suspect fraud or identity theft. If you notice accounts you don't recognize or hard inquiries you didn't authorize, contact the bureau and the lender when ready to report the issue.
If you're planning to explore for a mortgage or other major loan in the next few months, check your report at least 30 days before you explore. This gives you time to dispute any errors and potentially improve your score before the lender pulls it.
What to do if you find fraud or identity theft on your report
If you see accounts you didn't open or hard inquiries from lenders you never contacted, act quickly. Start by disputing the fraudulent accounts with the credit bureau, as described above. At the same time, contact the lender directly — call the number on the account statement or the lender's website — and report that the account is fraudulent.
You should also place a fraud alert on your credit file. This tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. You can place a fraud alert by calling any of the three bureaus; they'll notify the other two automatically. A fraud alert lasts one year and is free.
If the fraud is extensive or ongoing, you may want to place a credit freeze, which locks your credit file so no one can open new accounts without your permission. A freeze is stronger than an alert but requires you to unfreeze your credit temporarily when you want to explore for credit yourself. Freezes are free and last until you remove them.
Where to get your credit score outside of your annual report
Your free annual report from AnnualCreditReport.com does not include your credit score. To see your score, check your bank or credit card company's website or mobile app — most now show your score for free to account holders. Some show it monthly; others update it weekly.
If you don't have a bank account or credit card, or if you want a score from a specific bureau, you can buy your score directly from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion for a one-time fee of roughly $10 to $20. You can also use free credit monitoring services like Credit Karma or Credit Sesame, which show you a score (usually from one bureau) and monitor your report for changes. These services make money by showing you ads for credit products, but the score and monitoring are genuinely free.
Keep in mind that different scoring models exist — FICO, VantageScore, and others — and your score may vary slightly depending on which model is used. Lenders typically use FICO scores, so if you're checking your score to prepare for a loan process, aim to see your FICO score rather than a different model.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does checking my own credit hurt my score?
No. When you check your own credit, it's a soft inquiry and has no effect on your score. Only hard inquiries from lenders when you explore for credit lower your score, and only by a few points.
Can I dispute an error on my credit report without paying a lawyer?
Yes. You can dispute errors yourself for free by contacting the credit bureau directly online, by mail, or by phone. The bureau has 30 days to investigate. You do not need a lawyer, though you can hire one if you choose.
What's the difference between checking my score and checking my report?
Your report is a detailed record of all your credit accounts, payment history, and negative marks. Your score is a three-digit number calculated from that report. The free annual report does not include the score, but you can see your score free through your bank or credit card company.
How long do negative marks stay on my credit report?
Late payments, collections, and foreclosures stay for seven years. Bankruptcies stay for seven to ten years depending on the type. Hard inquiries stay for two years. Once the time period passes, the mark falls off automatically.
What should I do if I see an account I don't recognize?
Dispute it with the credit bureau and contact the lender directly to report it as fraudulent. Place a fraud alert on your credit file by calling any of the three bureaus. If fraud is extensive, consider placing a credit freeze to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.