Credit Reports

Credit reports provide information on where you live, how you pay your bills (on-time vs. after the due date), whether you’ve been sued or filed bankruptcy. Your credit is reported by nationwide companies who sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use your report to evaluate your application for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the major credit reporting companies every 12 months. To view your free credit report immediately, visit the Annual Credit Report website, or call 877.322.8228 to receive a printed copy in the mail within 15 days.

It’s a good idea to monitor your credit score by requesting a credit report so that you can make sure information is accurately reported about you before applying for a loan on a major purchase such as a house, car, or insurance or even before applying for a job. Additionally, regularly monitoring your credit report can help guard against identity theft.

For more information, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s online Consumer Information about credit reports.