ApartmentsUSA.com - Credit Tips

Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

A credit report contains important financial and personal information, including your payment history, open and closed accounts, credit inquiries, and any public records such as bankruptcies or judgments.

Credit Resources

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Trans Union Corporation

How to Get Your Free Report

You can request your free credit reports through the official centralized service:

Online: AnnualCreditReport.com
Phone: 1-877-322-8228
Mail: Submit a request form to the Annual Credit Report Request Service

To protect your identity, you'll need to provide basic information like your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth.

Why Check Your Credit Report?

Reviewing your credit report helps you:

Ensure your information is accurate and up to date
Detect and prevent identity theft
Prepare for major financial decisions like applying for credit, insurance, or employment

When You May Get Additional Free Reports

You may qualify for extra free reports if:

You are denied credit, insurance, or employment (request within 60 days)
You are unemployed and job searching
You receive public assistance
You are a victim of fraud or identity theft

Tips for Managing Your Reports

You can request all three reports at once or spread them out over the year to monitor changes.
Information may vary between bureaus, so it's important to review each one.
If you find errors, you have the right to dispute them and have them corrected.

Avoid Scams

Only one official website is authorized to provide free annual credit reports. Be cautious of lookalike sites that advertise "free" reports but require payment or sign you up for subscriptions. The authorized website is AnnualCreditReport.com.