How to Find All Your Debts in One Place

It’s hard to get debt-free if you don’t know how much debt you actually have. Organizing your accounts, outstanding balances, and interest rates can help clarify what you owe and how much you’re responsible for paying each month. From there, you can choose a repayment strategy that works for your budget.

How to find all your debts in one place

There are multiple ways to find open credit accounts in your name. Start with these three straightforward steps.

1. Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus

When you open a credit card or take out a loan, the creditor will likely report your account activity to the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. That includes your:

• Payment history
• Account balance
• Date the account was opened
• Account status — open, closed, or in collections

2. Look for debts that don't appear on credit reports

Some of your debts may not be reported to the credit bureaus. That’s generally the case for:

• Medical debt that’s under $500 or that’s been in collections less than one year^[1]
• Past-due income taxes^[2]
• Payday loans (as long as you keep up with payments)^[3]
• Money you borrowed from friends or family

‍If you have any of these debts, you may need to contact the creditor directly for account information.

3. Check your bank and loan statements

Another option is to review your recent checking account statements. You might find one-time or recurring payments to creditors you’d forgotten about. If you have a loan or line of credit with your bank or financial institutions, you can also log in to your online account directly to view your outstanding balance and see whether the account is in good standing.

What shows up on your credit report vs. what doesn't

We’ve covered debt that typically doesn’t appear on credit reports, but the following debts generally do get reported to the credit bureaus.^[4]

• Credit cards
• Student loans
• Auto loans
• Personal loans
• Mortgages
• Home equity lines of credit

You can also expect to see any accounts that have been sent to collections. If you stop paying a debt for a prolonged period, the creditor may sell it to a third-party debt collector who attempts to collect payment from you. A collection account is a negative mark that can remain on your credit report for seven years.^[5]

How to check your credit reports for free

You can check your credit reports for free by visiting the government-backed AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also create an account with each of the credit bureaus to access a free credit report from each one.

What to do once you have a full list of your debts

Tracking down your debts is the first step. Here’s what to do next.

Organize your debts

Not all debts are structured in the same way. You might have some or all of the following types of debt.

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It’s also wise to list out the balance and interest rate for each debt. That can help you determine which debt repayment strategy makes the most sense for your budget and financial goals.

Check for errors or debts you don't recognize

Common credit report errors include:

• Incorrect personal information
• Accounts that don’t belong to you
• Inaccurate account balances
• Duplicate accounts
• Wrong payment statuses
• Closed accounts reported as open

Review each of your reports carefully for incomplete or inaccurate information. Because even small mistakes can affect your credit history, it's worth taking the time to dispute any credit report errors with each of the credit bureaus.

Decide on a repayment strategy

There are several ways to tackle your balances, with two of the most common DIY options the debt snowball and debt avalanche methods:

• Debt snowball method. With this method, you write down all of your existing debts in order of total amount owed. You then make minimum payments on all your accounts with any extra going toward the smallest debts first. Once an account is paid off, you move on to the next lowest-balance account. It’s best for those motivated by frequent wins.

• Debt avalanche method. This method uses the same approach as the debt snowball method, except you write down all of your existing debts in order of interest rate. Any extra money after minimum payments goes toward the debt with the next highest rate. It’s best for saving the most interest overall.

If you’re having trouble paying down your debts, consider talking with a financial advisor or nonprofit credit counselor. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) offers free or low-cost counseling at 1-800-388-2227.

Read more → Debt payoff strategies: Debt avalanche vs. Debt Snowball

How to dispute debts that aren't yours

You’ll need to reach out to each credit bureau and follow their process for submitting a dispute. Gather any documentation to back up your claim, such as bank statements, payment records, or communication you’ve had with creditors.

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Kikoff offers an AI-powered tool that’s free for all Kikoff users to simplify the process. It helps you find and dispute errors on your credit report, generating personalized dispute letters with just a few taps and tracking progress as your dispute moves forward.

Bottom line

Many of your debts may be listed on your credit report, but you may need to do a little digging for others. What matters most is putting them together, organizing your accounts, and making a plan for paying down your debt.

If your credit history is thin, tools like Kikoff’s Credit Account can help. Kikoff reports your on-time payments to the major credit bureaus, helping you build the positive payment history creditors and lenders look for.