The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide each citizen with a free credit report once every twelve months upon request. There are a number of websites that claim to be able to do this, however, only one is authorized to obtain these reports online. Annual Credit Report is the only official site that can query these companies on your behalf and send you an entirely free report with no hidden additional costs.
Credit reports can be obtained by filling out the information on the web site, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by filling out the form available for download available here and mailing it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348
Individuals should not attempt to contact the separate credit reporting agencies separately as they only offer this free service through the official Annual Credit Report site.
Many people wonder if it is worth all of the trouble to get a credit report every twelve months. The answer is, of course it is worth it. Without an annual credit report you have no way of knowing if your credit is being hurt by false claims, purchases made by an identity thief, or delinquent bills you may be unaware of. All of these situations can devastate your credit rating. If you wait until you need credit to check on your rating you may find you are unable to secure a line of credit without months of hassle.
There are many companies out there claiming to be offering this same service. The trouble is they are not authorized to do so and they typically expect payment. There is absolutely no reason to give your personal information to these companies. Further, as the service is already being provided for free no one should try to get you to pay for your credit report. If you find a service requesting payment for your annual credit report, just say no.