How to Check Your Credit Report and Raise Your Score

Quick answer

Get your free credit reports, look for mistakes, and fix any you find. Then pay every bill on time and keep your credit card balances low. These steps do the most to raise your score.

A credit report is a record of your credit accounts and how you paid them. A credit score is a number that lenders use to judge that record.

Step 1: Get your free credit reports

Federal law gives you free credit reports from the three big companies that collect credit records (called credit bureaus): Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The bureaus let you check each report once a week for free.

Use only one website: AnnualCreditReport.com. It is the only site the law sets up for free reports. Other sites may charge you or sell you something.

Looking at your own report does not lower your score. (The credit world calls this a soft inquiry.)

Step 2: Look for mistakes

Read each report from top to bottom. Look for:

• Accounts you do not recognize, which can be a sign of identity theft
• Late payments you actually made on time
• A balance or credit limit that is wrong
• The same debt listed twice
• Old accounts that should no longer be listed

Your three reports can differ, because not every lender reports to every bureau. Check all three.

Step 3: Fix what is wrong

If you find a mistake, dispute it with two parties:

1. The credit bureau that shows the mistake. Write to it and explain what is wrong and why.
2. The company that reported it, such as your bank or card issuer.

Include copies of your proof, not the originals. Certified mail gives you a record that they got it. The company that reported the information generally must investigate within 30 days after it receives your dispute. Our guide to disputing credit report errors walks through each step.

Step 4: Know what moves a score

FICO is the company whose score most lenders use. It publishes how much each part of your credit counts:

Other companies score a little differently, so your number can change from one to the next. The order of importance is still a useful guide.

Step 5: Do the things that matter most

Pay on time. One missed payment can stay on your report for years. Set up automatic payments for at least the minimum, and pay the rest by the due date.

Keep card balances low. Credit use means how much of your card limits you are using. Divide your card balances by your card limits. If you owe $1,000 on cards with $5,000 in total limits, your credit use is 20%. Many experts suggest staying under 30%, and lower is better. Paying a card down before the statement closes can lower the balance that gets reported.

Do not close your oldest card unless it costs you a fee. A longer history helps, and an open card keeps your total limit higher.

Apply for new credit only when you need it. Each time you apply for a loan or card, the lender checks your credit, and that check can lower your score a little. Several checks in a short time can look risky to lenders.

Do not pay to "repair" your credit. Anything a credit repair company can do for you, you can do yourself for free. Disputing errors costs nothing.

How long it takes

Fixing a report mistake can raise your score within a month or two once the report is corrected. Building a better payment record takes longer. Most negative items stay on a report for about seven years. See how long it takes to improve a credit score for what to expect.

If you are starting from nothing, read how to build credit from scratch. To see what your score means, read credit score ranges explained. For the full plan, see our credit score guide.

This article is for education and is not financial advice. Scores and rules vary by score maker and lender.

Sources, checked October 19, 2026: FTC on free credit reports, CFPB on disputing credit report errors, myFICO on what is in your score. The credit use example is our own math.