According to the FTC, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies--Equifax, Experian and TransUnion--must provide you with a free credit report every year. There are several ways you can go about obtaining your credit report.

Three Major Reporting Companies

Contact one of the three major nationwide consumer reporting companies approved by the FTC in order to get your annual free credit report. The three companies all report the same information about you and your credit. They sell the information to people who may be interested in it for many different reasons, including acquiring insurance or getting a job.

Requesting Your Credit Report

Log on to annualcreditreport.com, or call (877) 322-8228 to request your free report. You can also download a brochure from the FTC's site on credit reports and mail it in. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion work together to provide one place where all your information is stored, so you do not need to contact each agency individually. The law states you are entitled to a free report from each company every 12 months, so you can order three reports at one time, or spread them out over time.

Information You'll Need to Provide

Have your old address handy if you haven't lived at your current address for at least two years. You'll also need to provide your name, Social Security number, date of birth and current address. If you order your report online, you should be able to view it immediately. If you use the 1-800 number or the mail-in brochure, the FTC says it could take up to 15 days to receive it.

Source:

FTC

annualcreditreport.com

download a brochure