Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page (2024)

FAQs

Is the annual credit report .com legit? ›

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to get your free annual credit reports. This right is guaranteed by Federal law. You can verify this is the official site by visiting the CFPB's website. Don't be fooled by look-alike sites.

You can start by going to the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion first by logging on to AnnualCreditReport.com to check your report for free. Each agency gives you access to your report once every 12 months.

Placing a security freeze on your credit reports does not impact your credit scores in any way. It also doesn't prevent you from getting free copies of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus through www.annualcreditreport.com.

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to request free copies of your credit reports. Other sites may charge you or be fraudulent sites set up to steal your personal information. By law, everyone is entitled to one free credit report every twelve months from each of the three credit reporting agencies.

Lots of sites promise credit reports for free. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official site explicitly directed by Federal law to provide them.

No, checking your credit report does not hurt your credit. And checking your credit score doesn't hurt your credit either. These actions are considered “soft pulls” which don't affect your credit score.

Good news: Credit scores aren't impacted by checking your own credit reports or credit scores. In fact, regularly checking your credit reports and credit scores is an important way to ensure your personal and account information is correct, and may help detect signs of potential identity theft.

The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.

Is there a safe way to check your credit score for free? ›

You can request and review your free report through one of the following ways: Online: Visit AnnualCreditReport.com. Phone: Call (877) 322-8228. Mail: Download and complete the Annual Credit Report Request form .

The primary credit scoring models are FICO® and VantageScore®, and both are equally accurate. Although both are accurate, most lenders are looking at your FICO score when you apply for a loan.

Place or lift a credit freeze

Freeze or lift the freeze on your credit report for free by contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax. Experian. TransUnion.

If you know your Social Security information has been compromised, you can request to Block Electronic Access. This is done by calling our National 800 number (Toll Free 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778).

Freezing your credit information goes a long way toward preventing identity theft. A freeze creates a block on your credit information until you unfreeze it. This powerful tool protects you from someone attempting to open new accounts in your name without your knowledge.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official site explicitly directed by Federal law to provide them.

Checking your own credit report or score won't affect your credit scores. It's an example of a soft inquiry—a request for credit info that does not affect credit scores. Experian, TransUnion and Equifax now offer all U.S. consumers free weekly credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com.

We will never send you an email directly. If you ever receive an email that appears suspicious and appears to be from us or about the Annual Credit Report Request Service, do not reply to it or click on the link it provides.

Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are all respected, credible bureaus that are used widely.