With pandemic-related financial stresses still burdening many consumers, three national credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian, and Transunion -- have announced that they are extending free weekly credit report monitoring until April 2022.
The companies said they will continue to offer free weekly credit reports until after next year’s Tax Day so that Americans can continue keeping tabs on their financial data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Access to financial information and records on a more frequent basis helps people plan for their future while also taking care of the present," said Equifax CEO Mark W. Begor, Experian CEO Brian Cassin and Transunion CEO Chris Cartwright in a joint statement this month. "We strive to make credit more accessible and available to people every day and we hope continuing to make free credit reports available each week is helpful to consumers."
Check your credit report regularly
Credit reports have information about your credit history and payment history that lenders look at before approving loans and determining what interest rate to offer. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. consumers were entitled to one free credit report from each agency per year.
By checking your credit report regularly, you can ensure that the report is correct. If the report contains an error in any section, you can notify the credit reporting agency to initiate a dispute of that information.
“For consumers, ensuring that one’s credit remains in good standing during this time goes beyond paying mortgages, auto loans, credit card bills and other financial obligations each month," said Francis Creighton, President and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association.
Consumers can obtain free credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.