Building Strong Credit in Louisiana: The Best Free, Official Resources (and How to Use Them)

Natalie Dauzat
Oct 6
3 min read

If you’re trying to build or rebuild credit, the fastest wins come from three habits: check your reports, fix errors, and protect your file. Below is a simple roadmap—with trusted, official links and what each one is good for.

1) Check your credit reports—free, every week

The only official place to get your reports is AnnualCreditReport.com. The FTC confirms you now have permanent access to free weekly reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Pulling your report does not hurt your credit score. Consumer Advice+1

Tip: American First primarily checks Equifax, but it’s still smart to scan all three bureaus to catch mistakes early. Consumer Advice

2) Understand what you’re looking at (scores vs. reports)

Confused about what’s in a report, how scores are different, or what counts as an error? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has plain-English explainers and step-by-steps. Start there before you dispute anything. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

3) Fix mistakes on your Equifax report (what we see)

See something wrong on Equifax? Start a dispute online and track it—most investigations wrap in about 30 days. If you’ve already filed, you can also check your dispute status. Equifax+2Equifax+2

Protective options with Equifax:

Fraud/Active-Duty Alerts (free): add an alert so lenders take extra steps to verify new credit. Equifax
Security Freeze (free): lock access to your file to block new accounts in your name; lift it temporarily when you apply. Phone help is available. Equifax+1

For general “freeze vs. alert” guidance, the FTC has an excellent overview. Consumer Advice+1

4) Know your rights (FCRA)

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute inaccurate info and to receive notices when credit affects decisions about you. Keep a copy of the official “Summary of Your Rights Under the FCRA.” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau+1

If a company won’t fix a clear error after you’ve tried directly, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB; most companies respond within 15 days. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

5) Medical debt on credit reports—what’s current

The three bureaus removed paid medical collections and those under $500, and they delay new medical collections for one year before reporting. A 2025 CFPB rule that would’ve removed medical bills entirely was vacated by a federal court in July 2025, so that federal “ban” is not in effect—but the under-$500/paid/one-year-delay policies still stand. Congress.gov +1

6) Suspect identity theft? Here’s who to contact

Start at IdentityTheft.gov for step-by-step recovery plans. If the site is temporarily unavailable (for example, during a federal shutdown), use the FTC hotline: 1-877-438-4338 (ID-THEFT) or see USA.gov’s identity theft page for the same guidance. IdentityTheft.gov +2Federal Trade Commission+2

7) Turn savings into momentum (how our tools help)

Budget Builder: spot monthly savings you can redirect toward debt.
Payoff Planner: apply those dollars using Snowball (smallest balance first) or Avalanche (highest rate first). The tool shows your payoff order and projected debt-free date. (That “snowball” effect—rolling one paid-off payment into the next—really works for staying motivated.)

If you’d like help reading your report or setting up your plan, our team in Baton Rouge is happy to walk you through it.

Quick links (bookmark these)

Get reports weekly: AnnualCreditReport.com. Consumer Advice
Credit basics & disputes: CFPB guides. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Equifax dispute / alerts / freeze: Equifax help center. Equifax+2Equifax+2
Your FCRA rights (official PDF): Keep a copy. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Escalate a problem: CFPB Complaint Portal. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Identity theft recovery: IdentityTheft.gov or 1-877-438-4338; see USA.gov if the site is down. IdentityTheft.gov +1

American First Financial Services is a local lender in Baton Rouge. We pull Equifax for most applications. This post is general education—not legal advice. If you have questions about your specific situation, talk with a qualified professional.