ReclaimMyID

Building credit is an important task for all Americans. You may have seen commercials or advertisements that reference credit scores and how to view or raise them. Your credit report and credit score are key to being able to purchase a car, house or open any new line of credit. You may be wondering; how do I find my credit report? Well, it is very easy to find, and we will help you learn what to look for when you read it. Knowing some of the key red flags will help you potentially spot identity theft as quickly as possible.

How Do I Find My Credit Report?

All Americans are entitled to receive one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) per year. You can obtain your credit report by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. This website is authorized by US federal law, so you can feel safe knowing inputting any necessary information.

We recommend spreading out when you obtain your free credit reports. If you were to get the first one in January, the second in May and the third in September, you’d be able to keep an eye on your credit file throughout the entire year. If you’re afraid you may be a victim of identity theft, you can always obtain all three at once if you want to cover all your bases.

What Should I Look For When I Receive My Credit Report?

Your Information – Is all of your personal information correct?
Credit Accounts – Do you recognize all the accounts listed in your report? Do the payment histories for each of them look correct? If not, you should dig further and report any discrepancies.
Credit Inquiries – Hard inquiries will show up on your credit report when you apply for a new line of credit and the creditor requests to view your file. These hard inquiries do affect your credit report, so you should limit the frequency with which you apply for new lines of credit. Soft inquiries will show on your report when companies or organizations are looking to offer you a line of credit. These will not affect your credit report, but you should keep an eye on them. Do recognize all the hard inquiries? If not, you should notify the credit reporting agency right away.
Credit Score – Okay, so your credit score isn’t actually listed on your credit report, but it’s still very important. It’s also easy to find. Many banks and credit cards will supply you with your credit score for free. Otherwise, you can purchase your score from an entity such as FICO, or obtain them for free from a website like Credit Karma. What is your credit score? This number is an indication of how good your overall credit is. All lines of credit in your name, making payments on time and without missing as well as any hard inquiries will affect your credit score. As a point of reference, here are some ranges that can give you an idea how your score stacks up:
- 720-850 is Excellent
- 690-719 is Good
- 630-689 is Fair
- 300-629 is Bad

How do I find my credit report? Now you know! You should take advantage of the free reports so that you can keep an eye on your file. Any unrecognizable inquiries may be a tip off that your identity has been stolen. The faster you can identify identity theft, the easier it is to recover it.