The three credit reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These agencies collect and house information relevant to an individuals credit and financial history, which helps potential lenders or employers rate their reliability. It is important to check all three bureau credit reports and credit scores because the information reported to each of the three bureaus can be different, and the individual creditors furnishing data may also be different, meaning one creditor may only report to one or only two of the three bureaus. By law, individuals can get a free credit report each year from each of the three credit reporting agencies.