How to read a credit report and get a copy

Reading your credit report starts by understanding what information it shows and why. Once you know that, you can keep an eye out for errors or unauthorized credit checks.

Credit reports are documents sourced from the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — that show your credit profile. These reports are usually used by creditors to decide whether to provide you with financial products like loans — and at what terms. 

While Credit Karma isn’t a credit bureau, it does provide free credit reports and credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax using the VantageScore 3.0 model. 

Here’s what information you’ll likely see on your credit reports and how to break it all down as you read them.

• What’s in a credit report and why does it matter?
• How to read credit report codes
• How to get a copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus
• Next steps: Monitoring your credit reports
• FAQs about how to read your credit reports

What’s in a credit report and why does it matter?

Credit card issuers and other lenders pull and review your credit reports to help determine whether you’re a credit risk. If you qualify for their product, your credit report might also help them decide the terms of your loan or line of credit, such as your interest rate or credit limit. Your credit reports may also be reviewed when you’re renting an apartment or purchasing insurance.

Credit reports are typically divided into six sections.

1. Personal information

Identity information on your reports may include your …

• Name 
• Social Security number 
• Date of birth 
• Address 
• Phone number 

If you find incorrect identity information on one of your credit reports, you can file a dispute or an update with the reporting credit bureau to change it. You can also notify the creditor that reported the information and request that it send an update to the credit bureau.

2. Employer history

This may be included in the personal information section. You can file a dispute to change outdated information or add missing employer information, but it usually isn’t necessary. Employer information listed on the reports is typically there just to help verify your identity.

3. Consumer statements

This section may contain any brief statements you’ve submitted to a credit bureau. For example, if you disputed an item and the investigation didn’t resolve the dispute, your statement might explain how you disagree with reported information.

4. Account information

This is where you’ll find specific details on your open or closed accounts, which could include mortgages, student loans, car loans, personal loans and lines of credit like credit cards. Rental payments don’t typically show up on credit reports, however.

The types of information you’ll see for each account can include …

• The dates accounts were opened or closed 
• Payment history 
• Credit utilization 
• Current account balance 
• Loan payment status 

Late payments can stay on your credit reports for up to seven years from the date you missed the payment before they’re removed by the credit bureaus.

Some of the errors that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends watching for include:

• Accounts belonging to another person with the same name 
• Accounts created through identity theft 
• Incorrect payment history 
• Wrong balance or credit limit information 

5. Public records

Public records may include bankruptcies and foreclosures, which can hurt your credit. Tax liens and civil judgments will not typically show up on your credit reports.

6. Credit inquiries

A hard inquiry generally occurs when a financial institution checks your credit when making a lending decision. Hard inquiries could lower your credit scores by a few points, but the effect is usually temporary. Unauthorized hard inquiries that you don’t recognize, however, could be an indication of identity theft.

You may also see soft inquiries on your credit reports. Soft inquires happen when you do things like check your own credit reports. Unlike hard inquiries, soft inquiries won’t hurt your credit.

How to read credit report codes

Credit report codes are used to convey a lot of information while keeping your report succinct. Each major credit bureau has its own codes and will provide information about them on your report.  

For help on how to read these credit report codes, let’s look at some payment history codes using Equifax as an example. 

Equifax credit report code examples

Equifax payment history codes, which detail on-time payments as well as past-due accounts and other account information, include symbols, numbers and letters.

Using this information, an account with a check mark under January for the year 2026 would mean the bill was paid on time that month. Similarly, an account marked with “30” under the month of September for the year 2025 would mean that the payment for that month was 30 days past due.

Credit report guides by credit bureau 

Find out more about each bureau’s credit reports:

• Equifax credit report guide
• TransUnion credit report guide
• Experian credit report guide

How to get a copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus

Under federal law, the three major credit bureaus are required to provide a free copy of your credit report at your request at least once every 12 months. Thanks to a permanent extension of a COVID-era program, however, each credit bureau has agreed to provide free weekly credit reports online. 

You’re also entitled to a free copy of your credit report from a credit bureau that provided a report to a creditor that declined your credit application.

Here’s how to contact each major credit bureau: 

Equifax

• Call customer service at 1-888-378-4329 and have a representative walk you through the process.
• Sign up for a myEquifax account and look for “Equifax Credit Report” on your dashboard.
• Request an Equifax credit report from the government-authorized website annualcreditreport.com.

Experian

• Call 1-888-397-3742 and have a customer service representative walk you through the process.
• Sign up for an Experian account and request your report through your homepage.
• Request an Experian credit report at annualcreditreport.com

TransUnion

• Create a TransUnion account and request your report online.
• Request a TransUnion credit report from annualcreditreport.com

Next steps: Monitoring your credit reports

Checking over your credit reports yearly is a good idea, but routinely monitoring them is an even better one. Doing so can allow you to keep an eye out for possible identity theft and fraud. Plus, you can spot potential errors and dispute them so they don’t linger on your credit reports.

Credit Karma provides free credit reports and VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax, which you can check at any time.You can also sign up for Credit Karma’s free credit monitoring service and receive notifications anytime major changes show up on your report.