How can I get a copy of my—or my child’s—credit report?

By law, you can request one free credit report a year from each of the three main credit-reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. 

Here’s a great tip to keep tabs on your credit report. Stagger your requests over time. For example, request a free report from Experian each year in January, a free report from Equifax in May, and a free report from TransUnion in September. Then, start the whole process again the next January. If you follow this schedule, you can act quickly if you find inaccurate information on one of the credit reports.

There are four ways to order your credit report:
1. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Any other website—such as
     freecreditreport.com—may attempt to sell you additional products and services. 
2. Call Annual Credit Report.com toll-free at 877-322-8228.
3. Mail a request letter, contained at www.annualcreditreport.com. Send the request
     form to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA
     30348-5281.
4. Contact the credit-reporting agencies directly (all phone numbers are toll-free):
     --Equifax (800-685-1111) www.equifax.com 
     --Experian (888-397-3742) www.experian.com 
     --TransUnion (800-888-4213) www.transunion.com 

If you wish to receive your report by mail, experts recommend you request that only the last four digits of your Social Security number appear on your report. That way, if someone intercepts your report before you receive it, he or she won’t have your Social Security number along with all the other identifying information contained in your report. 

For more information, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or visit the FTC’s Website at www.ftc.gov.