Free weekly credit reports, by law

Americans are entitled to free credit reports from each of the three credit reporting agencies each week. They can obtain the weekly reports by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.

Previously, all citizens were entitled to free credit reports every 12 months, but that was changed to weekly in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic upended everyone’s finances. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced in October that the change to weekly had been made permanent. 

While many credit-checking websites charge users or engage in fraud to steal personal information, the FTC website does not. Read more in the FTC Consumer Alert.

Img: Dylan Gillis on Unsplash