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Free weekly credit reports available weekly

A credit report is a borrowing report card, and it's important to check it for mistakes and identity theft.

INDIANAPOLIS — During the pandemic, scams surged. That's one of the reasons why the government allowed citizens to request a free credit report more often. 

A credit report is a borrowing report card, and it's important to check it for mistakes and identity theft.

People can pull their reports weekly from each of the bureaus for free.  

How to request a credit report

To request a report from each of the bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — head to www.annualcreditreport.com. That's the website authorized from the federal government.

Once you get your three credit reports, check for name and address mistakes. Then, head to accounts and hard inquiries, and for loans or credit cards that you didn't apply for.

What to do if there's a mistake

If there's a mistake on your credit report, send a letter to both the bureau and the lender. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a template for those letters.

Here's how to see each credit bureau's process for handling disputes:

If you are not planning on opening a line of credit, consider freezing your account to prevent bureaus from giving your report to new creditors. To do this, contact each bureau individually.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the service was extended.

MORE: How to improve your credit score

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