How to get your credit report?
First, you should know that a credit report and a credit score are two different items. A credit is merely the number given based on factors like payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit and types of credit, etc. (Think of it as your grade.)
A credit report is the explanation for the given credit score. It lists all of the aforementioned factors including a list of everyone who has received your credit report (referred to as "inquiries"), any public records for your accounts, and anything else that they deem relevant to the credit report.
You can request your credit report annually from Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian for free. Each company will provide one report a year, giving a total of three free reports. Requesting all three reports at the same time will allow you to compare them to one another. However, if you request one report every four months you can keep track of your credit throughout the year. It all depends on what works for you. Some states have free credit reports available under state law. If you live in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Vermont you can receive free reports whenever you request one. The other states do not provide unlimited reports and (other than your three free ones) will charge a small fee.
If you live in a state that provides free credit reports, you can contact the state through the Annual Credit Report Request Service via phone or mail and your report will be mailed to you within 15 days.If you would like a faster response, you can log in to www.annualcreditreport.com (a secure and legitimate credit reporting site) and receive your credit report immediately.
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