All 3 bureaus, free every week — if you use the one official site
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports are free once a week at AnnualCreditReport.com — the only site authorized by federal law.
The report is the record — accounts, balances, payments. The score is just a number calculated from it.
Example: a wrong $2,000 balance on a $5,000-limit card shows 40% utilization — when your real figure is 0%.
Dispute an error with the bureau and the company that reported it. Bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate.
Pulling your own report is a soft inquiry. It never hurts your score — check as often as you like.