Key takeaway
You are afraid a landlord or a job will see a file you have not opened, and a repair ad says it can erase the debts. Federal law gives you free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. A score is a separate number. Accurate debts stay. Tonight, pull the reports from the official site.
Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
You are afraid a landlord, a lender, or a job will open a file you have not seen, and an ad says a company can wipe the debts. The useful move is to look at the file yourself before you pay anyone to touch it.
If worry about money includes a plan to harm yourself, call or text 988. If someone is taking money from you by force, call 911.
Pull the reports from the official site
You can get free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also call 877-322-8228. Federal law requires a free report from each bureau at least every 12 months if you ask. The three bureaus have extended free weekly online reports at that same site. Only AnnualCreditReport.com is authorized to fill those orders. The bureaus will not email you asking for a Social Security number. An email or a pop-up that does is a reason to stop.
A score is not included just because you opened the report. Scores are calculated from the history in the file, which is why an error can pull a number down. You have more than one score, and an educational score can differ from the one a lender uses. Recovery includes the income and resources to take part in daily life. A file can affect housing or work. It is not a moral score, and it is not a required number.
Finances after treatment covers income, debt, and benefits. Cash as a trigger is in managing money cravings. The treatment bill is in paying for care without insurance.
Accurate debts stay. Mistakes can come off.
Credit repair companies cannot remove negative information that is accurate and current. Paying a firm does not speed the schedule the law already sets. It is illegal for them to charge you before they perform the services, to lie about what they can do, or to tell you to lie on an application. Before any work, they must give you a written contract with a three-day right to cancel at no charge. Anything they can do legally, you can do yourself.
If an item is wrong, dispute it in writing with the credit reporting company and with the furnisher, the business that supplied the item. Send copies, not originals. If the information is wrong or cannot be verified, it has to be corrected or removed. If you suspect identity theft, start at IdentityTheft.gov.
Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you want help finding treatment. The call is not a credit pull, a loan, or a dispute letter. Returning to work and housing when you have no stable address are the conversations a report can affect. The report does not replace them.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- CFPB: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports?
- CFPB: Where can I get my credit scores?
- CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- FTC: Free credit reports
- FTC: Fixing your credit FAQs
- FTC: Spot the scams when fixing your credit
- IdentityTheft.gov
- SAMHSA: About recovery, including the purpose dimension
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Common Questions
Will reading this raise my score?
No. It summarizes what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission publish about credit reports, scores, disputes, and credit repair companies. It does not tell you which debt to pay or what your score will be. A nonprofit credit counselor, a HUD-approved housing counselor, or another qualified person who can see your reports is the right place for a plan. This helpline does not pull your file.
Where do I get the free report, and how is that different from a score?
AnnualCreditReport.com is the authorized place for the free reports you can request from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can also call 877-322-8228. Federal law requires a free report from each bureau at least every 12 months if you ask. The three bureaus have extended free weekly online reports at that same site. A credit score is a number calculated from the report. You have more than one score. The site does not owe you a score with the free report.
Can a credit repair company delete my old debts?
Not if the information is accurate and current. Credit repair companies cannot remove negative information that is accurate and up to date. It is illegal for them to lie about what they can do or to charge you before they perform the services. Before any work, they must give you a written contract that states the services, the total cost, how long results should take, any guarantee, and your three-day right to cancel without a charge. Anything they can do legally, you can do yourself.
How do I dispute a mistake?
You have the right to dispute errors with both the credit reporting company and the company that supplied the information, called a furnisher. Explain in writing what is wrong and why, and include copies, not originals. The reporting company must investigate unless it reasonably decides the dispute is frivolous, in which case it must explain that decision. If the furnisher's information is wrong or cannot be verified, it must correct or remove it. If you suspect identity theft, start at IdentityTheft.gov.
Where do budgets and the rehab bill belong?
Budgets, debt, and benefits after treatment are on the finances guide. Cash and payday as triggers are on the money-cravings guide. Paying for treatment is on the cost guide. The subject here is the credit file. Call or text the number on this guide if you want help finding treatment. If money stress includes thoughts of suicide, call or text 988.