No cost, no obligation

Free report review

Check your own credit reports for possible errors, free, before you pay anyone. No sign-up required.

Step 1: get your free reports

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com, the official free site. You can get reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion every week, free. Save each one as a PDF. Never pay a look-alike site.

Step 2: go through the 8-point checklist

1. Personal information. Names, addresses, or employers that aren't yours. A wrong address can be a sign of a mixed file or identity theft.
2. Accounts you don't recognize. Any account or collection you never opened. If it isn't yours, visit IdentityTheft.gov (free).
3. Duplicates. The same debt listed twice, or both the original creditor and a collector showing a balance for the same debt.
4. Late payments. Late marks for months you paid on time, or lates reported after an account was closed or paid off.
5. Balances, limits, and status. A paid account showing a balance, a closed account showing open, or a wrong credit limit.
6. Old items. Most negative items should drop off 7 years after the first missed payment (bankruptcy: up to 10 years). Check that the dates make sense.
7. Changed dates. A collection whose “date of first delinquency” looks newer than when you actually fell behind.
8. Hard inquiries. Credit applications you didn't make or authorize.

Step 3: decide

You can dispute anything you find directly with each bureau, for free. See your rights for how. If you'd like help organizing, writing, mailing, and tracking disputes, start with your report or send an intake. Our item-by-item review with you starts only after you sign a cycle agreement and the 3-business-day cancellation period passes.

Accurate, current, verifiable information can't be removed by anyone. This checklist is general education, not legal advice.