During the COVID-19 pandemic, the three major credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion and Equifax – enacted a program allowing Americans to access their credit report weekly. Recently, the credit bureaus have agreed to extend this program, indefinitely. Thankfully, Americans now have access to free weekly credit reports, permanently. Prior to this program, Americans were entitled by law to one free credit report annually from each of the three bureaus.

How do I access my free credit reports?

To access your credit reports, visit AnnualCreditReport.com. If you try to access your credit reports from other websites, you may be charged or you may end up on a fraudulent site intended to steal your information.

Why should I check my credit report?

Any time a line of credit is opened under your file, your credit report will show it. This includes credit cards, loans, car loans, etc. You also will be able to see any credit inquiries, which are when creditors access your file in order to see whether they want to do business with you. 

Accessing your credit report will allow you to review all the entries on your file and quickly discover any fraudulent activity. Reviewing your credit report is the fastest way to detect identity theft. The faster you can detect identity theft, the faster you can correct the situation. The longer identity theft goes undetected, the more time thieves have to wreak havoc.

You credit report will also allow you to see whether all your bills are being paid on time or if you have any accounts turned over to collections. Even if you don’t find any suspicious activity on your report, you may find a mistake you’ve been inadvertently making with your finances.

Americans now have access to free weekly credit reports, so use them to your advantage. Staying on top of your personal file is the key to raising your credit score and ensuring you aren’t being taken advantage of.