How to get your free credit reports every week, and what to look for

Federal law gives you a free report from each of the nationwide bureaus, and the bureaus now let you check each report once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, according to the FTC. You can also call 1-877-322-8228, or mail the Annual Credit Report Request Form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

1. Type AnnualCreditReport.com into your browser yourself. Do not follow ads or search results.
2. Enter your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number.
3. Choose Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get all three at once or space them out.
4. Answer the identity questions each bureau asks. If you cannot verify online, the site will tell you how to request by mail.
5. Save or print each report so you can compare later.

If you have frozen your credit, you can still get your own reports. A freeze stops lenders, not you.

The FTC lists more situations in which you can get a free report:

• A company took adverse action against you, such as denying credit, insurance, a job or housing, based on your report. Ask within 60 days of the notice.
• You are unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days.
• You receive public assistance, such as welfare.
• Your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.
• You have a fraud alert on your file.

A credit report has four main parts. Read each one with a specific question in mind.

• Personal information. Names, addresses, phone numbers and employers. A name variation you never used, or an address where you never lived, can mean someone applied for credit as you.
• Accounts. Every card, loan and line of credit, open or closed. Check you recognize each one, that balances look right, and that no late payments are wrong.
• Inquiries. Hard inquiries come from applications for credit. One from a lender you never applied to is an early sign of fraud. Soft inquiries, such as from prescreened offers, do not affect lenders' view of you.
• Collections and public records. Debts sent to collectors, including medical bills. A collection you do not recognize can be identity theft; see medical identity theft.

The three reports will not be identical, because not every lender reports to every bureau. That is why it is worth checking all three.

Disputing is free and you do not need a company to do it for you. The FTC's dispute guide sets out the steps:

1. Contact each bureau that shows the error, online, by phone or by mail. By mail, include your name and address, each error and why it is wrong, and copies (not originals) of supporting documents. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof.
2. Send a separate dispute to the business that reported the information.
3. The bureau has 30 days to investigate, forwards your evidence to the business, and sends you the results in writing. If the report changes, you get a free updated copy.
4. If the dispute is not resolved, you can ask for a statement of the dispute to be added to your file.

If the error is fraud rather than a mistake, start at IdentityTheft.gov. An FTC Identity Theft Report lets you ask the bureaus to block fraudulent information, and our recovery plan covers the order of steps.

Weekly is available but more than most people need. A sensible rhythm: all three reports once or twice a year, before any big application such as a mortgage, and right away after a breach notice or a sign of fraud. If you have frozen your credit, checks matter less for new accounts but still catch errors and problems with existing ones. If you would rather have alerts than calendar reminders, our identity theft protection comparison covers paid monitoring.