In one sentence: A credit report is a record of your credit accounts and how you pay them, kept by credit bureaus in the US and credit reference agencies in the UK.
Why it matters: Lenders use it to decide whether to lend to you. Reading it can show mistakes or accounts you do not know. In the US, AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized site for free reports. In the UK, each agency must give you a free statutory report. Checking your own report does not affect your score.
One thing to do: In the US, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. In the UK, ask one agency for your free statutory report today, and the others later, because their reports can differ. Look for accounts you do not know.
Related terms: credit freeze, identity theft, fraud alert
Checked: 25 Oct 2026. Rules and time limits change. Check your credit agency's own page.
