Authorized by federal law, AnnualCreditReport.com™ provides you with free and comprehensive credit reports. AnnualCreditReport.com™ works with all 3 major credit unions, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian, meaning that you can view your credit report from the perspective of any of these companies. This can be crucial, as your credit report may differ from company to company. Because AnnualCreditReport.com™ is authorized by federal law, it contains no hidden fees or upselling tactics, you’re simply getting a credit report for free.
Federal law actually allows you to receive a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting companies. The law also allows you to ensure that the information in your credit report is accurate and up-to-date, allowing you to rest assured that your credit is in good hands.
AnnualCreditReport.com™ is actually jointly owned by the 3 major US credit reporting agencies – Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. The site was created by the companies to comply with their obligations to consumers under the US “Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act”, also known as “FACTA”. The website provides a system for American consumers to receive up to 3 free credit reports each year, 1 from each of the aforementioned credit unions.
The main service AnnualCreditReport.com™ offers is free annual credit reports (as the name suggests), you can also be sent your credit score information for an add-on fee. It should be noted that credit reports are separate from your credit score, and DO NOT contain your credit score within their information as standard.
One downside to AnnualCreditReport.com™ is that you cannot access your credit report information on-demand; you can only access it up to 3 times per year when you request your report. Other services and websites often allow you to access your current credit report instantly (albeit often for a fee), which may deter some consumers from using AnnualCreditReport.com™. The website is also a little dated and basic looking, which may deter some consumers further. With that being said, however, you know that you can trust the website, as it is authorized by the federal government.
You can also request that your credit report from each of the 3 companies be staggered over the course of the year. For example, you may opt to receive your TransUnion report in January, your Experian report in May, and your Equifax report in September. This allows you to view your credit reports over the course of the year, though it is important to remember that these scores can easily fluctuate from company to company regardless of the time of year.
98% of AnnualCreditReport.com™ credit reports are found to be accurate and do not necessitate a dispute about deleted or incorrect data. This, along with its government-backed authorization, makes AnnualCreditReport.com™ one of the most reliable websites to request credit reports from, though it may not be the most convenient or straightforward option for consumers.