how-to-get-your-free-credit-reportBy law you are entitled to receive a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can order your free credit report online at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

If you want to monitor your credit report over the course of the year, you may want to request the reports separately and at different times, but if you are checking for errors you may want to view all three credit reports at once. The credit reports do not include your credit score but they do include all of the information that your score is based on.

When you go to obtain your credit report, you will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. There may also be questions asked that only you would know such as, what is your current mortgage payment, and each credit reporting company may ask different questions.

It’s a good idea to check your credit report for accuracy before you make a major purchase like a new home. Even when you are not, it’s good practice to verify your credit every year as it helps guard against identity theft.