Which Credit Bureau Should I Check First?

Your purpose determines which credit bureau you pull first. Knowing whether you need a mortgage, a credit‑card, a rental approval, or want to catch fraud lets you pick the right source and avoid unnecessary requests.

1. Define the immediate goal  -  mortgage approval, new card, renting, dispute, etc.
2. Link the goal to the bureau most often used for that purpose (e.g., lenders usually rely on Equifax or TransUnion, while many credit‑card issuers favor Experian).
3. If you just want a baseline view, obtain the free annual credit report from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
4. For score‑driven objectives, target the bureau where your score is lowest or where the creditor reports most frequently; boosting that file yields the greatest overall lift.

These steps set the stage for the scenario‑specific guidance that follows in the next sections.

Grab your free credit report before you spend money on a paid pull, because it gives you the full picture from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at no cost. Use the official site, AnnualCreditReport.com, which now offers a free weekly report for each bureau, so you can check all three without paying.

This single step prevents duplicate fees and lets you decide which bureau to target in later sections, such as when a lender uses a specific bureau or when you aim to raise the lowest score.

• Request the report online; no phone or mail needed.
• Choose the week you need the data; you get up to three reports (one per bureau) each week.
• Review errors now; correcting them saves future hard‑inquiry costs.
• Note which bureau shows the lowest score; later advice on 'check the bureau your lender or issuer uses' or 'target the bureau with your lowest score' becomes more precise.

Identify the credit bureau your lender or issuer relies on, then pull that report first.

• Check the lender's website, FAQ, or pre‑approval letter for a note like 'credit report sourced from Experian.'
• Call customer service and ask, 'Which credit bureau do you pull my report from?' to get a direct answer.
• Use the free weekly report at AnnualCreditReport.com or the bureau's own portal to obtain the exact file the lender will see.
• Compare that file with reports from the other bureaus; differences often explain why a lender sees issues you don't.
• If the lender states it requires a tri‑merge report for mortgage approval, skip this step and refer to the upcoming 'tri‑merge' section.

Look at each credit bureau's file details - account names, balances, payment dates, and public records - instead of relying solely on the credit score. A $500 auto loan may be listed as current on Experian, late on TransUnion, and missing from Equifax; the scores will reflect those gaps, but the underlying data tells you where the error lies.

Pull the free annual credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion via the free annual credit reports site, line them up side‑by‑side, and mark any discrepancies. If you're planning a mortgage, the later 'for mortgage approval, pull a tri‑merge report first' section will use the combined view, so correcting the worst‑looking file now saves time later. If a lender or issuer favors a specific bureau, focus remediation on that report after you've identified the outliers.

Pull a tri‑merge credit report before you apply for a mortgage. Lenders use the combined view of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to assess risk, so having the full picture lets you catch errors and address problem items early.

• Order the tri‑merge directly from any bureau or through a service that provides all three reports in one file; many lenders also supply a free copy during the pre‑approval process.
• Review each bureau's account listings, balances, and public records; note any discrepancies such as misspelled names, duplicated accounts, or outdated collections.
• Dispute inaccuracies with the reporting bureau(s) using their online portal; resolve them before the loan officer runs the underwriting pull.
• Prioritize fixing high‑impact items - late payments, charge‑offs, and collection accounts - because they weigh heavily in mortgage underwriting models.
• Check the score version the lender will use (often a FICO 8 or 9) and compare it across the three bureaus; a low score on one bureau may signal a problem you can remediate quickly.

Having the tri‑merge in hand lets you clean up your credit before the lender sees it, increasing the chances of approval and better loan terms. (For free weekly snapshots, see Annual Credit Report website.)

Look up the credit bureau the card issuer relies on before you submit an application. Knowing which bureau - Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion - the issuer pulls from lets you correct errors, pay down balances, or dispute derogatory items in the exact report that will determine your credit score.

Most issuers publish their preferred bureau on their website or in the application FAQ; for example, Chase uses Experian and Capital One leans on TransUnion. Grab a free copy of that specific credit report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or AnnualCreditReport.com, fix any issues, and then apply with confidence that the data the issuer sees is accurate.

• Most property managers use Experian's RentBureau report; it's the default source for rental‑history checks.
• If the landlord mentions SmartMove, the screen pulls data from TransUnion, so request a TransUnion report.
• A few owners rely on Equifax's HomeRisk service; verify this before pulling an Equifax file.
• Confirm the exact bureau with the leasing office, then obtain that specific report (you can get a free copy via AnnualCreditReport.com or directly from the screening company).

When you suspect identity theft, pull your reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion immediately.

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and request all three credit reports; you can obtain them for free each week once you place a fraud alert.

Scan each report for unfamiliar accounts, sudden address changes, or new inquiries; if anything looks wrong, file a fraud alert, freeze your credit, and contact the offending bureau directly, a step that will also prepare you for the 'if collections appear' section later.

When a collection shows up, pull the credit report from the bureau the collector files with. Collections are usually reported to a single bureau, so that file holds the details you need to dispute or negotiate.

• Identify the collector's reporting bureau by checking the notice they sent; it typically names Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
• Use your free weekly report from request your free weekly credit report to download the correct file without paying.
• Review the entry for accuracy - look for wrong balances, dates, or duplicate accounts.
• If the entry is incorrect, file a dispute directly with that bureau; the others won't see your challenge.
• After the dispute resolves, monitor the same bureau for any lingering impact on your credit score.

Fixing the collection on the reporting bureau often lifts the lowest score, setting you up for the 'raise your score fast' strategy discussed later.

Identify the credit bureau where your score lags behind the other two, then focus remediation efforts there.

1. Pull all three reports - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - using the free weekly service at AnnualCreditReport.com.
2. Compare the three credit scores; the lowest number pinpoints the bureau that needs attention.
3. Scan that bureau's report for negative items (late payments, collections, charge‑offs, or errors).
4. Dispute any inaccuracies directly with the identified bureau via its online dispute portal.
5. Pay or negotiate any outstanding collections that appear only on that bureau's file.
6. Ask the creditor to issue a goodwill adjustment or update the status, but target the creditor that reports to the low‑score bureau.
7. Set up automatic payments for the accounts that feed that bureau to ensure on‑time history builds quickly.
8. Monitor the same bureau weekly; score improvements will appear as updates are processed.

(These steps build on the earlier advice to 'check the bureau your lender or issuer uses' and set the stage for targeted score‑boost strategies in later sections.)

If you have thin credit, start with Experian's free report and then add alternative data sources that Experian accepts.

Thin credit means you have few or no traditional credit‑card or loan accounts, so the standard credit score may not reflect your true payment habits. Experian offers a free weekly credit report via AnnualCreditReport.com and lets you boost that file by importing non‑tradeline information such as utility, phone, streaming and rent payments. Adding this alternative data can create a more complete picture and often lifts your Experian score by 10‑20 points.

For example, Experian Boost lets you authorise the upload of on‑time Netflix, electric‑bill and mobile‑carrier payments. UltraFICO integrates checking‑account activity to generate a supplemental score that feeds into Experian's file. If you pay rent regularly, you can have those payments reported through Experian Rental Data, which adds another positive tradeline without opening a new credit account.

These steps give thin‑credit consumers a quicker path to a usable credit score before checking the other bureaus.

After a divorce, pull your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports and hunt for any joint‑account inaccuracies. Divorce often leaves credit cards, loans, or utilities still listed under both names, which can drag down your credit score if the ex‑spouse misses payments. Because each bureau receives data from different lenders, an error may appear in only one file, so you must review all three. Start with the free annual credit report you're entitled to and compare the account sections; look for balances, payment histories, or account statuses that still credit your former partner.

If you spot a joint‑account that should be removed, file a dispute with the specific bureau, attach your divorce decree or a letter from the creditor confirming the account is now single‑user, and request a correction. Follow up with the lender to ensure they update their reporting to every bureau, because a correction on one report won't automatically fix the others. Catching these errors early prevents unnecessary interest, keeps your credit utilization low, and positions you for the next step - whether that's checking the bureau your lender uses or preparing for a mortgage application later in the guide.