Free Weekly Credit Reports Available for Additional Year Due to COVID-19

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

In March 2021, the three nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – announced they were extending free weekly credit reports to Americans for an additional year until April 20, 2022, to continue to help people across the country manage their financial health during the ongoing hardship caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a news release from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA).

Under federal law, all consumers are entitled to obtain one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three national consumer reporting agencies. However, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, these agencies increased the frequency to weekly for a one-year period starting on April 20, 2020, to help Americans understand their financial health. The free weekly credit reports are available at www.annualcreditreport.com.

“Access to financial information and records on a more frequent basis helps people plan for their future while also taking care of the present during these challenging times,” said Equifax CEO Mark W. Begor, Experian CEO Brian Cassin, and TransUnion CEO Chris Cartwright. “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.”

Consumers should review all items appearing in their credit reports. If an error is identified, contact the credit reporting agency immediately to initiate a dispute of that information. “Consumers should have the tools they need to be knowledgeable about their financial information,” said CDIA President and CEO Francis Creighton. “The extension of free weekly credit reports is another way for people to regularly monitor their finances.”

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is a potentially deadly respiratory illness that spreads from person to person. As of April 12, 2021, there are approximately 136 million global cases and 2.9 million global deaths, while the United States leads the world with approximately 31 million cases and 562,000 deaths, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – a leading global provider of background checks that was ranked the number one background screening firm by HRO Today in 2020 – used best practices during the Coronavirus crisis, has released a white paper about background checks in the age of Coronavirus, and has posted blogs about how COVID-19 affects employers and workers. For more information about ESR, visit www.esrcheck.com.

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