Knowing what's on your credit report, not only lets you know where you stand with creditors but it can protect you from identity theft. More and more ID Thieves are opening up new accounts in their victims names...if you don't know about it, you can stop it. That's why it's so important to pull a copy of your report a few times a year.
It's free but you must use this site: annualcreditreport.com
That's the one site that the three credit reporting agencies have put together to pull free reports for you. You're entitled to one free copy of your report from each of the three bureau's every year.
Don't be fooled! Sites like freecreditreport.com and freecreditreportinstantly.com are NOT free. The sites try drawing you in with that claim but then tell you to pay for monitoring, your score and all that...stay away from them.
Again, annualcreditreport.com is the place to go. You will have to provide your social security number to get your report. I know we're always telling you never to give that out but in this rare case, you have to. The credit bureau's use it to confirm you are who you say you are. You may also be asked for your credit card number on annualcreditreport.com....again, you will NOT be charged to get a copy of your report, it's used to verify your identity. I've done it several times before and have never been charged. If you don't like giving that information over the internet, you can call them at 1-877-322-8228
It takes 10 minutes to pull your report. Even if you're not looking to buy a home or car...it can't hurt to review it a few times a year, so that when you are ready to make a major purchase you don't find inaccuracies or fraud that will prevent you from getting a loan.
What's your experience been with checking your report? Have you ever found any inaccuracies that you've had to clear up through the dispute process?
