How to obtain your free Credit Report

We recommend www.annualcreditreport.com

This central site allows you to request a free credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
 

While they won't usually provide you with a score unless you pay, you will be able to find out what these top three credit bureaus are reporting for you.  It's very likely that they're all a little different. Creditors don't have to report to all three credit bureaus, so they typically report to the credit bureau to which they also subscribe.

What you can do on your end

1. Print a copy of your report if you can

2. Circle any errors you see on your report.  This would include any current and past accounts (what’s open, what’s closed), invalid accounts (identity theft), late payment reporting history, collections and judgments.  Nearly every consumer has an error on at least one credit report from one of the major credit bureaus so be thorough.  Any accounts that may have been included in a bankruptcy, please make a note.

3. Now go back over your report again and prepare a list of all the credit items you determined to be innacurate.  One tip might include listing these items in an order of most recent to least recent.  Credit scores are impacted more by your most recent activity (last 2 years) rather than items that are in the past. 

4. Prepare your next step.  Disputing your credit report.