--- title: Your Credit Report Just Got Easier to Understand description: Equifax updates credit reports with a clearer design, showing your score upfront and tips to understand what helps or hurts it. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy has eight years of experience in personal finance journalism. Through approachable guides, explainers, news and more, Adam has reported extensively on credit for Money. His credit coverage won an award from the nonprofit Money Management International. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 498 covers: - Credit - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Katherine Peach role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/ bio: Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. She didn’t always intend to write about money. She’s a classically trained pianist who dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. However, in 2007 Katherine began working in financial publishing as an editor for Agora Inc. (Apparently, unearthing ideas about improving your personal finances isn’t such a bad career alternative!) Katherine’s writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Studies with concentrations in Archaeology and Ancient Languages and a minor in Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. education: University of Maryland, Baltimore County at_money_since: 2025 articles: 14 covers: - Credit - Banking - Career Advice - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Federal Reserve Rate Cuts - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2025-06-09T18:52:30.000Z' modified: '2025-06-09T18:52:30.000Z' section: Credit tags: - News word_count: 880 canonical: https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Photo illustration of a credit card, with a swirl of random numbers in the background](https://img.money.com/2025/06/News-Credit-Report-Explainer.jpg) Your credit report is getting a reader-friendly makeover. Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus, unveiled on Thursday a new design for its physical credit report, which now prominently displays your credit score at the top along with a breakdown of the factors that help and harm it. "The new U.S. consumer credit report design was undertaken in direct response to consumer feedback," Tina Shell, a senior vice president at Equifax, said in a [news release](https://investor.equifax.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1356/equifax-redesigns-u-s-consumer-credit-report-to-help). ## Don't let a mistake from the past hold you back ### Credit Saint can help you remove negative items from your credit report and get your financial future back on track. Select your state to get started today! [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/mc7163d7d8b6?ap_referrer=%2Fcredit-report-easier-understand%2F) Credit reports, which typically do not include credit scores, are detailed credit files that may include addresses, employment information and payment histories for loans, credit cards and other financial products. These vital financial dossiers have long been criticized as difficult for consumers to understand. In a [focus group](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/consumer-voices-on-credit-reports-and-scores/) conducted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, participants described credit reports as “hard to get, and hard to read.” And in a [consumer complaint](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/detail/12167312) lodged to the CFPB earlier this year, a Pennsylvania resident railed against the credit bureaus over trying to upcharge for access to credit reports and scores. “How can the companies in charge of ... publishing my credit report be fair if they are constantly trying to sell me their products?” the complaint reads. “There has to be a better way.” In recent years, the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, have taken other steps to make it easier for Americans to monitor their credit. Legally, the [Fair Credit Reporting Act](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/free-credit-reports) mandates that the bureaus give Americans access to at least one free credit report per year. But during the pandemic, the bureaus began allowing people to check their credit reports weekly. In 2023, that [policy became permanent](https://money.com/free-weekly-credit-reports-permanent/). That same year the three bureaus also [removed medical debt in collections](https://money.com/medical-debt-removed-from-credit-report/) of up to $500 from their reports amid pressure from the Biden administration. In October 2024, Equifax announced it would add credit scores to its physical reports. According to a company spokesperson, the updated version released Thursday features the score more prominently and includes easy-to-read tips on how your score is calculated. An Experian spokesperson told Money that the bureau began adding credit scores to its reports in 2021. TransUnion did not respond to Money’s request for comment on whether it has plans to show credit scores on its reports. ## How to check your credit report and score for free With its redesigned physical credit report, Equifax lets you check your credit report and score for free at the same time. However, the physical copy is the only version of your Equifax report that currently includes your score (VantageScore 3.0) at the top by default. You can request a physical copy by phone at 1-888-Equifax or by mail: *Equifax Disclosure Department* *P.O. Box 740241* *Atlanta, GA 30374* Alternatively, you can create a free [myEquifax](https://my.equifax.com/membercenter/#/login) account to view your credit report online. To view your credit score through your online profile, however, you will need to sign up for a service called “Equifax Core Credit.” While this service is free, the agreement allows Equifax to advertise financial products and services to you and share your financial data with its affiliates unless you opt out. After you've signed up, your profile will display your credit score and the factors affecting it, much like the new physical report. At [annualcreditreport.com](http://annualcreditreport.com), you can also request your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at the same time, for free. (Despite the website’s name, reports are available weekly.) Money tested whether credit reports from Equifax and Experian obtained through this website included credit scores, and they did not. Other free ways to [check your credit score](https://money.com/how-to-check-your-credit-score/) include: - Online through your bank, credit union, credit card provider or a personal finance company. Depending on the institution, you can check your VantageScore or your FICO score, usually through the mobile app. - The other credit bureaus: Experian and TransUnion also allow you to check your scores for free on their websites. (Be mindful that you’re not accidentally signing up for a paid service while creating your accounts.) - Directly through FICO: While many apps and financial institutions offer ways to check your FICO score, you can also check a free version of your FICO score at [myFICO.com](http://myfico.com). Depending on where you check your credit score, you may get a slightly different number. That’s because [you have numerous versions of your credit score](https://money.com/credit-reports-tracking-everything-you-do/). Usually, you will see one of the two main credit scores — a VantageScore or FICO score (there are many different models within these two types). Each lender or industry has a preferred model they check when you apply for credit. With personal finance or budgeting apps, you may even come across an “educational” version of your score, which is not an official score and isn’t viewed directly by lenders. Don't assume the highest version of the score is the one your bank or lender is going to see. As you monitor your credit, beware of the upsell. Make sure you aren’t paying for credit information that you could have gotten for free. ## Find a Credit Repair company that works for you ### 🥇 Most Affordable Credit Help Company! ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/28241/medium_ae18ab6b-f004-4597-a78c-b5057ebf3778.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/eb30d1b428d4?bidid=4034204109&pmeta=p129-c527-u25367&ptid=662891229&ptoken=f95e3840e20e68475059928319963a75) ### Take Steps Toward Improving Your Credit with a Trusted Legal Team ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/541/medium_AEPRGHMZaPsbrAuaWpZtkFWwSMTooS.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/653ad50897e0?bidid=4034204107&pmeta=p129-c527-u25367&ptid=662891229&ptoken=0fcd2b33c2f8615bd66f1f6e08e2ac69) ### Offers a single, low-cost credit repair package ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/1992/medium_Sky_Blue_Credit_Repair_Logo.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/073a68e6e025?bidid=4034204108&pmeta=p129-c527-u25367&ptid=662891229&ptoken=ca2b9df14503f22cc33a128c7447718b) ### All plans include unlimited disputes to all three credit bureaus ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/544/medium_AzCOfmOSdIObukHTtkAFkkVcednFPx.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/47dfb3a6c7fc?bidid=4034204110&pmeta=p129-c527-u25367&ptid=662891229&ptoken=d7d01eabdf67db4178a5bacaa37e2c24) ### Even the most basic packages include financial management tools ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29349/medium_5f909068-0d8c-41f9-91b3-62c42c6b942c.webp) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/b4c59a75aa79?bidid=4034204111&pmeta=p129-c527-u25367&ptid=662891229&ptoken=c7fec56506436684c6d10d77b7f09e6d) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/28241/medium_ae18ab6b-f004-4597-a78c-b5057ebf3778.png) Clean up your credit report with Credit Saint [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/sc3ba8a1c51c?ap_referrer=%2Fcredit-report-easier-understand%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Credit", "item": "https://money.com/credit/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Credit Report", "item": "https://money.com/credit-report/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Your Credit Report Just Got Easier to Understand" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/", "name": "Your Credit Report Just Got Easier to Understand", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2025-06-09T18:52:30.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/credit-report-easier-understand/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2025-06-09T18:52:30.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "Your Credit Report Just Got Easier to Understand", "articleSection": "Credit", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2025/06/News-Credit-Report-Explainer.jpg", "width": 1440, "height": 960, "caption": "News-Credit-Report-Explainer" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy has eight years of experience in personal finance journalism. 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