Feeling invisible?

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 […]

Credit Check Toolkit

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 […]

Check Your Free Credit Report for Signs of Fraud and Identity Theft

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 […]

Check Your Free Credit Report

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 […]

Credit Report vs Credit Score

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.

Order Your Free Credit Report

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.

Read Your Credit Report

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 […]

Fix Errors on Your Credit Report

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.

Security Freezes and Fraud Alerts

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 […]

Credit Inquiries

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.

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