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The System of Credit Reporting
Main Post: The System of Credit Reporting
r/personalfinance
Main Post: r/personalfinance
The free weekly credit reports from the 3 bureaus extended until the end of 2023
Main Post:
Good news! The free weekly credit report program from the 3 bureaus was extended until the end of 2023! This is a great benefit for us all to monitor our credit history. Before Covid we only received one free report from the 3 bureaus a year. Now we get 52 a year! How often do you all review your credit reports?
Top Comment:
(I didn’t know we were getting free weekly reports at all 💀)
Thanks for the update OP!
Free Annual credit report
Main Post:
Hi everyone,
Is there a way I can pull my annual credit report? I feel like there is a way that you can pull one credit report per year without suffering any major consequences to your score.
Does anyone know if there is a way for me to do that?
Thanks!
Top Comment:
Annual Credit Report is in the pinned messages for this sub. I believe currently you can get it weekly but it’s just your reports. If you want your scores you can use Experian for free or MyFICO and pay 40 a month (it’s a really nice product though)
What's the best/right site to get your free annual credit report these days?
Main Post:
I've been lazy about pulling mine and don't know what/if anything has changed, and Google is showing me like 6 different sites.... Of course.
Top Comment:
www.annualcreditreport.com is the official site. Don't go anywhere else.
Best source for free credit score?
Main Post:
Am moving and need credit score to submit with apps. I don't use credit cards (if I don't have the money, I can't afford it is my motto for most things), so have never really paid much attention to this area. I did do a free annual credit report roughly six months ago, but 2/3 reports said I needed to contact them directly for some reason and I never bothered to do so (don't ask why). The last report had one old medical item and that was it.
So, now I'm wondering which credit score company listed in the PF Wiki I should use. I saw some post recently talking a bit negatively about the oft-advertised Credit Karma. I know these companies have to make money off us somehow, but I'm looking for recommendations of the least invasive or offensive one. Suggestions?
Top Comment:
Your bank might have free credit score. Capital one, Discover, Chase etc
(USA) Free Annual Credit Report?
Main Post:
Quick question for fellow Americans - I wanted to look at my free annual credit reports from the three major credit unions, and my usual way was to use annualcreditreport.com because it's the "official" website the FTC recommends. I've been using credit score estimate tools like on Mint.com and CapitalOne.com but wanted to compare those to the real thing. To be sure, the FTC website reads:
You're entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Order online from annualcreditreport.com, the only authorized website for free credit reports, or call 1-877-322-8228. You will need to provide your name, address, social security number, and date of birth to verify your identity.
I went through the form, requesting Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. I get to the Experian report, and I can verify that all of my info is correct, see my previous addresses, my recent accounts, etc. But, when I click on "Credit Score", I just get a pop-up message that reads:
See your FICO® Scores1 from all 3 bureaus
Just $4.99 for the first month*
*Introductory price of $4.99 for your first month, then just $14.99 each additional month. Cancel anytime if not satisfied.
Isn't your official credit score supposed to be one of the things you can get once a year for free from Experian due to federal law? Did something change, or was the credit score not included in the free report?
I feel like, with employment, housing, lending, investment, and more potentially depending on my credit score, I should have a fundamental right to see my official score from the Big Three without paying for the privilege. If Experian is supposed to supply me with my score, not just the facts of my report, who should I contact about this?
Thanks in advance for any guidance!
Top Comment:
credit score was never included in the free report
I should have a fundamental right to see my official score from the Big Three without paying for the privilege.
oh, hello millennial...
Also, the credit score at each of the three credit agencies will be different so if you're seeing a score on Mint or Discover, it is probably in the ballpark of what one of the agencies would show you.
How do I ACTUALLY check my credit score for free?
Main Post:
I recently tried applying for a credit card in order to start making purchases for an art studio and was declined with the reason being "insufficient or lack of credit information," and was curious as to how I can check my credit?
I've never made any purchases using credit or taken out any loans, so I would hope I just have no credit at all, versus bad credit..
Top Comment:
Creditkarma is a great resource that I check on every week or so. If you've never made a purchase on a card before you likely just don't have any credit history, which is relayed to you via why you're declined.
You're likely going to either have to find a really bottom of the barrel card just to get the ball rolling or sign up for a secured credit card; Basically you send a company $300 or so and that is your credit limit, when you close the account you get your money back if you've been paying it off.
When I got my first card it was just an online paypal smart connect - It's a shitty online thing but they seemed to accept most people.
LPT: Check your credit report for free once per year on all three credit bureaus at and dispute any negative or potentially negative items.
Main Post:
Here's how it works, the creditor has 30 days to respond. If they do not, the item will be deleted or the account updated. I was shocked to find I was reported for creditor mishaps which I thought had been resolved. I disputed them a month ago and today I had an email saying that everything I disputed was either deleted from my record or updated from a negative status. It's easy, it's free, and your credit is your life these days. Do it NOW!
Free resource for viewing all 3 credit reports and filing disputes: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Edit: This page from the FTC has more information on disputing items http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0151-disputing-errors-credit-reports
Top Comment:
Even better, spread it out checking one bureau every 4 months. That way ID theft might get caught sooner than just once a year.