If you're a US citizen, you're legally entitled to a free annual credit report from the government. This means that you can get this information from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion once every 12 months. You may prefer to request a copy from each agency once a quarter. However, it's important to note that the information held by each credit reference agency is totally unique.

Why Should You Obtain a Free Credit Report Every 12 Months?

You may want to see your report and score because you're about to apply for a loan, mortgage, or card. This gives you the opportunity to remove any erroneous entries or take action to fix your report, thus increasing the likelihood of a successful application.