The federal government requires that each of the three national credit-reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—gives you a free credit report every year. Do not contact the individual credit-reporting agencies.

You can request a free copy of your credit report through NGFCU’s relationship with Balance – a non-profit dedicated to helping people and families achieve their financial dreams. You can also visit AnnualCreditReport.com. Consumers should be aware that there are many sites out there that claim to offer “free” credit reports but often charge you for another product if you accept the report.