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Free credit report review

Turned down for a mortgage?

A mistake on your credit report could be the reason. Have yours checked by a consumer-protection attorney. It's free.

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Three short steps. A consumer-protection attorney reviews your report at no cost.

Step 1 of 3

About the decision

About the decision
Did you get a letter or notice saying why?
Roughly when were you turned down?

Free, with no obligation. Everything goes over an encrypted connection.

Why it matters

Credit reports can be wrong.

Not every no comes from a mistake. But credit reports do contain errors, and looking is free.

In a Federal Trade Commission study of credit report accuracy, one in five consumers had an error on at least one of their three credit reports.

The same study found that five percent of consumers had errors on one of their three major credit reports that could lead to them paying more for products such as auto loans and insurance.

Federal Trade Commission, February 2013Read the Federal Trade Commission's release (opens in a new tab)

Three things that can be wrong

  • Accounts that aren't yours

    Cards, loans or collections you never opened, sometimes a sign of identity theft.

  • Wrong balances or late marks

    A balance you paid, a debt wiped out in bankruptcy, or a late payment that never happened.

  • Mixed-up files

    Someone else's name, address or accounts mixed into your report.

Your right

Your right to a free copy.

The law lets you get a free copy of your report from the credit bureau the business used, if you ask within 60 days. Here is how to get it, and what to do with it.

  1. Step 1: The business must name the credit bureau

    A business that turns you down, or takes another unfavorable step, because of your credit report must give you a notice. The notice names the credit bureau the report came from.

  2. Step 2: You have 60 days to ask for a free copy

    You have 60 days from the notice to ask that credit bureau for a free copy of your report. ClaroCredit reviews reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If your notice names another company, also get your three free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and send those.

  3. Step 3: Send it to us

    A consumer-protection attorney reviews it at no cost, and you are under no obligation.

What we check

What an attorney looks for.

The problems that come up again and again on consumer credit reports. Some the software flags on its own; the attorney who reviews the report looks for all of them.

  • Accounts that aren't yours

  • Wrong balances or late marks

  • A dispute that was ignored

  • Items older than they may be

  • The same debt listed twice

  • Marked as deceased by mistake

  • Mixed-up files

  • Redacted or missing information

What it costs

The review is free.

Sending your report and having it reviewed is free.

Does it cost anything?

No. Sending your report and having it reviewed by an attorney is free, and you are under no obligation. Sending the form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

What does it cost if an attorney offers to represent me?

The review is free. If an attorney offers to represent you, the attorney explains the fee in writing before you agree to anything, and the choice is yours. Under the federal credit reporting law, when a consumer wins a case under it, the company held responsible must pay the consumer's court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, in an amount the court decides.

Source: the federal credit reporting law, on costs and fees (opens in a new tab)

Questions

Four quick answers.

Short answers to what people ask after a no.

Does a “no” mean my report is wrong?

Not necessarily. A business can say no for reasons that have nothing to do with a mistake. But reports do contain errors. In a Federal Trade Commission study of credit report accuracy, one in five consumers had an error on at least one of their three credit reports. Looking is free.

Source: Federal Trade Commission study, 2013 (opens in a new tab)
I never got a notice, or I lost it

You can still get your reports. AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site for free credit reports: you can check your report from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, for free once a week. Send whichever report you have, and tell us in the form what happened.

Source: Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)
Will this hurt my credit score?

No. Asking for your own credit report does not hurt your credit score: checking your own report is not an inquiry about new credit.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (opens in a new tab)
What happens after I send my report?
Your report is read page by page and anything that looks wrong is flagged with the page it came from. A consumer-protection attorney reviews it and reaches out at the e-mail address you gave.

Before you apply for your next mortgage, have your report checked.

Free, with no obligation. A consumer-protection attorney reviews it.

Start my free review