All Three U.S. Credit Reporting Agencies to Extend Free Weekly Credit Reports Through 2022

You can request free weekly credit reports from all three credit bureaus through 2022.

Knowing where your financial health stands is a must. It's essential to check your credit report regularly to see where your credit stands and ensure no errors are on your report. Federal law requires all three credit bureaus -- Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion -- to provide consumers with a free credit report once every 12 months.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans faced financial difficulties. For this reason, all three U.S. credit reporting agencies made weekly credit reports available for free so Americans could better keep an eye on their finances. This was initially offered for a year, and then extended for an additional year. But weekly reports aren't going away anytime soon. Free weekly credit reports are now available through the end of 2022.

How to access your free credit report

If you'd like to request your free weekly reports, visit annualfreecreditreport.com. You'll be able to view your credit report from all three credit bureaus once every week.

It's recommended you get a copy of your credit report at least once per year. With this extension, you'll be able to request credit reports more frequently than usual.

What information is included in your credit report?

If you've never looked at your credit report or haven't seen one in a long time, you may be wondering what kind of information is listed.

You'll see a record of credit activity, including payment history, account balances, account opening and closing dates, and credit limits.

You'll also see personal information like your address and phone number, credit inquiries, and data made available from public records, such as accounts sent to collections or bankruptcies.

One thing your free credit report won't show is your credit score. Knowing your score is also important and can help guide you when making financial decisions. We've outlined some resources to help you get your credit score for free.

Here's why you should check your credit report

It's worthwhile to look at your credit report every so often so you can get a better feel for where your credit stands.

When applying to borrow money, lenders will run a credit check to assess your financial risk. By reviewing your credit report, you can see what information creditors and lenders will see.

It's also important to review your credit report regularly to check for inaccuracies. Mistakes can happen, and so can fraud. If you notice incorrect data or accounts that you don't recognize, you can file a dispute with the credit reporting agency.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to check your report often. Do you need to check it weekly? Not likely. But you might as well check it more often than once a year while it's free to do so.

Reviewing your credit report is one excellent financial move you can make. If you want additional guidance so you can take steps to improve your financial situation, check out our personal finance resources.