The Federal Trade Commission has required each of the three main credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to provide consumers with free credit reports every twelve months. A free credit report may be obtained from a single website www.annualcreditreport.com where consumers can request and view the reports online. It is a good idea to periodically check your credit report for unexpected data, particularly two or three months before applying for a car or home loan. You might find reports of unpaid bills that aren't true, or you might discover that someone has stolen your identity and applied for credit under your name. Viewing your report prior to applying for a loan will enable you to address and correct any inconsistencies
You are also entitled to a free report anytime you are denied credit, employment, or insurance based on the contents of your credit report. In the event that this happens, contact the credit company directly. They will contact the creditor and try to verify whether their information is correct or not. If not, they must fix the report. If there is a dispute, you're entitled to have a statement of your dispute included in your credit report.