If you haven’t checked your credit reports for a while or ever, you may want to do so this month. It’s easy and it’s free. By reviewing your reports you might even detect identity theft early and stop it.
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three major credit report firms and you can go to AnnualCreditReport.com to receive free copies of your credit reports. You can choose to get a copy of all three reports now or stagger them throughout the year to monitor your credit.
“A credit report is an organized list of the information related to your credit activity. Credit reports may include:
- A list of businesses that have given you credit or loans
- The total amount for each loan or credit limit for each credit card
- How often you paid your credit or loans on time, and the amount you paid
- Any missed or late payments as well as bad debts
Credit reports may also include:
- A list of businesses that have obtained your credit report within a certain time period
- Your current and former names, address(es) and/or employers
- Any bankruptcies or other public record information
Under Federal law, you are entitled to receive one free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting company every 12 months.
Make sure you recognize the information on your credit report including your personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, Social Security Number, accounts and loans. Then check that the other information on your credit report is accurate and complete. If you find information you believe does not belong to you or is not correct, contact the business that issued the account or the credit reporting company that issued the report.”