Information on how to build and maintain your credit and manage your credit score.
By law, everybody can obtain free credit reports each year at AnnualCreditReport.com. It is important to check your report regularly to make sure it is accurate and up to date. The credit reporting system is set up so that you are responsible for finding and correcting errors in your reports.
We encourage you to mark your calendars on 2/2, 6/6, and 10/10 this and every year as a reminder to request a copy of your free report on those days. You can order your free reports anytime during the year. The “2/2, 6/6, 10/10” reminder dates are meant as a simple way to remember to pull your free credit reports regularly. Download a calendar reminder for 2/2, 6/6 and 10/10.
Ever feel like you’re invisible? 11% of adult Americans actually are.. credit invisible that is! Credit invisible is a term used for people who have no credit history at any of the three national credit bureaus. Isn’t it good to not have any credit card debt? Yes. It’s wonderful to not have any credit card […]
Extension has great tools to help keep you on track to managing your credit reports. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides individuals with the opportunity to receive a Free Credit Report every 12 months at the individuals request. There are three nationwide companies who participate in this program: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Typically, individuals can obtain their most […]
In 2022, there were over 20,000 reports to the Federal Trade Commission from Wisconsin residents. The top complaints involved fraud, most often related to imposter scams, identity theft, credit bureaus and financial services, and online shopping. Reports of fraud have increased over recent years as scammers used the pandemic to come up with new ways […]
By law, everybody can obtain free credit reports each week at annualcreditreport.com. The information in your credit report affects your life in important ways—your ability to get a loan, how much you pay for credit and insurance, securing a job, renting a house or apartment, and preventing identity theft. It is important to check your […]
Many people use the terms “credit report” and “credit score” interchangeably, but they are not the same. Your credit report is a detailed account of your credit history, while your credit score is a three-digit number signifying your credit-worthiness. You are entitled to three free credit reports per year, but you generally have to pay to view your score.
By law, you are entitled to three free credit reports every 12 months–one each from the three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Information in Your Report Video Introduction to a Credit Report Sample Reports Identifying Potential Errors Dealing with Errors Monitoring Negative Information Information in Your Report Once you order a credit report from one of the three agencies, your report will appear on screen. We recommend printing your report (it might be long!) and saving it […]
The credit bureaus maintain tens of millions of reports, so they cannot verify the accuracy of the information in everybody’s reports. Fortunately, there are ways to identify and dispute errors in your credit report.
This article includes websites that offer more information about your credit report and related items, how to dispute errors in your credit report, and where to get help if you have fallen behind on payments or experienced other difficulties.
Beginning in 2018, security freezes are free in Wisconsin. You can find more information about security freezes in the UW-Madison Division of Extension Credit Report Freeze fact sheet. If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website, which lists the steps you need to take. The […]
Each time you or somebody else requests a copy of your credit file, the request is recorded on your credit report as an “inquiry.” Inquiries are listed on your free credit report.
