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FREE CREDIT REPORT

Check your Experian credit report and FICO® Score* to understand how you may
look to lenders.


Get your free credit report and FICO® Score

No credit card required

*Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer
may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit
score altogether. Learn more.


SEE YOUR LATEST CREDIT INFO

Better understand your credit with an overview of where it currently stands.


GET FREE CREDIT MONITORING

Check for any changes with an updated report every 30 days.


GET TO KNOW YOUR FICO® SCORE

View specific factors that are affecting your score and how to improve it.

CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT FOR FREE

Get started


WHY CHECK YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORT WITH EXPERIAN?


PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FRAUD

Reviewing your credit report can help you spot potential fraud or identity
theft.


MAKE SURE ALL THE INFO IS CORRECT

Lenders sometimes make mistakes—so it’s smart to look for and dispute any errors
that could be impacting your credit.


STAY ON TOP OF YOUR CREDIT

Reviewing your credit report helps you prepare to take out a loan, get a new
credit card or rent an apartment.

Get your free credit report


WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR CREDIT REPORT?


PAY DOWN YOUR DEBT

Credit reports show all your debt, including revolving credit and installment
loans, so you can make a plan to tackle your debt and improve your financial
health.


MANAGE UNPAID ACCOUNTS

Bankruptcies or accounts that get sent to collections can have a significant
impact on your credit score. You can check how much you currently owe on
outstanding accounts.


ACCESS YOUR PAYMENT HISTORY

Payment history is an important factor in determining your credit score. Your
credit report shows on-time, overdue or late payments across your accounts.


REVIEW CREDIT INQUIRIES

Your credit report shows hard inquiries like when you’re applying for new credit
or a loan. Soft inquiries appear when lenders run a credit check or you check
your own credit.

Get your free credit report

Frequently asked questions


CREDIT REPORT EDUCATION & ADVICE


WHY IS CREDIT IMPORTANT?

Credit is important because it can play a big role in your overall financial
health. Lenders, creditors, employers, landlords and utility or insurance
providers all may look at your credit report to decide whether to grant you
credit or services. A credit report that demonstrates positive credit history
helps identify you as a responsible borrower who knows how to manage your
finances. Having good credit puts you in a strong position to qualify for loans
and credit with competitive terms.


WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT?

Checking your credit report lets you see an overview of your open accounts,
along with a summary of how you've managed your credit. By understanding your
credit history, you can make financial choices based on the unique information
in your credit report.

Lenders typically check one or more of your credit reports when considering you
for a loan or credit application, and review them for any signs of risk. Each
lender has its own tolerance for risk, but all typically view late payments as
grounds for concern. The more numerous and recent your late payments are, the
greater the cause for concern. Lenders may also view serious negative
entries—like accounts in collection, repossessions, foreclosures and
bankruptcies—as even more worrying.

Reviewing your credit report is a good first step to take before you apply for
new credit. You can verify that your information is accurate, dispute any
incorrect information and take steps toward improving your credit before making
a big financial move.


HOW OFTEN IS AN EXPERIAN CREDIT REPORT UPDATED?

Your free Experian credit report is updated every 30 days on sign in. Paid
memberships include daily updates.


HOW CAN YOU GET A CREDIT REPORT IF YOU HAVE NO CREDIT HISTORY?

If you're just starting your credit journey, you can use Experian Go™ to
establish credit for the first time, open a credit card or become an authorized
user on an existing account.


WHY IS CHECKING YOUR CREDIT SCORE IMPORTANT?

Credit scoring can be complex and takes into account a number of factors that
could impact your overall creditworthiness. Your credit score includes the
positive and negative factors affecting your credit. It gives you insight into
what you are doing well and offers guidelines on how to improve your credit.
With a free credit score from Experian, you can track your credit score progress
over time and receive customized alerts when changes occur.


HOW TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS FOR FREE

You can access your free Experian credit report at any time by signing up for a
free Experian account. You can request annual credit reports for free from each
of the 3 major reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax® and TransUnion®—online via
www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.


DOES A CREDIT REPORT INCLUDE A CREDIT SCORE?

Credit reports do not include your credit score. But with an Experian account,
you get access to your Experian credit report as well as your FICO® Score.


WHAT INFORMATION APPEARS ON A CREDIT REPORT?

Your credit report provides a detailed history on how you've used credit in the
past and if you've paid your bills on time or not. When viewing and
understanding your credit report, you'll find details like:

 * Personal information: Your full name (including any aliases or other names
   you use that have been reported by creditors), birth date, current and past
   home addresses, phone numbers and employers.

 * Accounts: A list of all your credit accounts including credit cards,
   mortgages, auto loans and student loans. This will include the creditor names
   and account information, like balances, payment history and account status.

 * Public records:Whether you've had to file for bankruptcy.

 * Recent inquiries: If and when anyone has requested to view your credit
   report.


WHAT INFORMATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN A CREDIT REPORT?

Your credit report will exclude certain things like your marital status, medical
information, income, bank account balances, education and criminal history. This
is because your credit report only includes financial information related to
debt. It's also important to know that even relevant information regarding debt
will begin to fall off your credit report after a certain period of time.


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CREDIT REPORT AND A CREDIT SCORE?

A credit report is a detailed history of your credit activity and current credit
status. A credit score is a three-digit number based on the information in your
report.


WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN REVIEWING YOUR CREDIT REPORT

Changes in your credit report are often the result of normal credit usage, such
as changes in your account balances and paying your bills on time. Important
items to review on your credit report include:

 * Unfamiliar names or addresses: They may be a sign you're a victim of identity
   theft or credit fraud. You can contact Experian to dispute the incorrect
   information, and you may also want to add a fraud alert to your credit
   reports.

 * Inaccurate account details: These could be accounts you didn't open,
   incorrectly reported late payments, high balances and other inaccuracies.

 * New hard inquiries: An unrecognized hard inquiry might indicate someone used
   your information to apply for a new account. Soft inquiries don't impact your
   credit scores and generally aren't a cause for concern.

By reviewing and monitoring your credit report proactively, you can maintain
your credit—especially when you're ready to seek new credit and get the terms
and interest rates that work for you.


HOW DOES A CREDIT REPORT IMPACT YOUR CREDIT SCORE?

The data in your credit report is what's used to generate your credit scores. In
your credit report, you'll see the factors that may be impacting your credit
scores, like your payment history and credit mix.


WILL CHECKING YOUR CREDIT REPORT HURT YOUR CREDIT SCORE?

No, checking your own credit report does not hurt your credit score.


HOW LONG DOES INFORMATION STAY ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT?

That depends on whether it's positive or negative information. Active accounts
and positive information will stay on your credit report indefinitely, while
negative information is automatically removed after a certain period of time.

Positive information includes properly managed loans and on-time credit card
payments. Negative information includes public records (like bankruptcy),
third-party collection accounts and other evidence of financial mismanagement,
like late payments and defaults.

Type of informationTime on your credit reportOpen accounts in good
standingIndefinitelyLate or missed payments7 yearsCredit inquiries2
yearsCollection accounts7 yearsClosed accounts in good standing10 yearsChapter
13 bankruptcy7 yearsChapter 7 bankruptcy10 years


WHEN DO LATE PAYMENTS GET REPORTED?

Late payments get reported to the credit bureaus once you're at least 30 days
past the due date. While payments that are a day late likely may not appear on
your credit report, they can have different consequences depending on the type
of loan or credit card and your agreement with the lender.


CAN YOU REMOVE LATE PAYMENTS FROM YOUR CREDIT REPORT?

If you believe there is an inaccurate late payment on your credit report, you
can dispute the information with Experian's Dispute Center. You can also reach
out to the original creditor and ask them to resolve the issue directly. If they
find that the late payment was issued inaccurately, they can have credit
reporting companies remove it. Accurate late payments can't be removed from your
credit report.


CREDIT ADVICE


WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU REVIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORT

5 min • August 2, 2021

Report Details


HOW TO CHECK IF SOMETHING CHANGED ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT

4 min • August 22, 2021

Report Details


24 TIPS TO IMPROVE CREDIT IN 2024

9 min • December 20, 2023

Improve Credit

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