The three major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, are each required to provide consumers, upon request, a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months.

The reports will not be sent automatically. Each consumer must request reports one of these three ways:

• Go to AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the only authorized source for consumers to access their annual credit report online for free.

• Call (877) 322-8228.

• Complete the form on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure, and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The brochure, which can be ordered or printed, is available from the Federal Trade Commission. Click here for more information.

A credit report is simply a rundown of your payment history, listing your accounts, balances and your payment behavior for each. It is not a credit score, or FICO, the three-digit gauge of your creditworthiness used by lenders, employers and insurers. But credit scores do use the information on your credit reports in their calculations, so it’s important to spot and correct inaccuracies as quickly as possible.

The highest-possible FICO score is 850, but even people with the best credit don’t usually exceed 825. Those last 25 points wouldn’t save you money on a loan anyway.

You’re one of the lucky ones in the financial pecking order: Your credit score is high. Really high. But what if you want perfection?

Get a hobby.

Having a high credit score is great. But the slight difference between very high and perfection just won’t make a difference in your everyday life.

A credit score is your credit history at one point in time, reduced to a single number. One of the most popular credit-scoring models, the FICO score, can range from 300 (very bad) to 850 (solid gold). But don’t expect to see many 850s walking around.

“It’s very rare to be there,” says Maxine Sweet, the vice president of public education with Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus. “I’ve never seen it.”

Though it’s theoretically possible to score 850, most high scores top off around 825, Sweet says. “You can’t get much higher,” she says.

From a practical standpoint, that’s just as well, several credit experts say.

“There is no reason to go from 775 to 850 because you’re still going to get the same rate,” says Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for Consumer Action, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C. (See how a high score saves you money.)

For those not hitting the high 700s and above, there’s still room for improvement. Use your credit sparingly, and watch your purchases. Keep up the good work, and you will get there!

How to get a credit report for free

Be sure to look at each of your reports every year. It’s simple, it’s free and it’s crucial: Old or inaccurate information could cost you a job, an apartment or a lot of money when you borrow.