Photograph Credit: Flickr (Dan Eriksson)
By checking your credit reports, you can verify correct information and current accounts. With identity theft on the rise, taking initiative to check your reports from the three credit bureaus will alert you to any new, unauthorized accounts.
If you are following my recommended schedule for requesting your credit reports, then check the date of your last credit report.
Be sure to wait at least one year from the date of your last report. If you make a second request within one year, you will be charged for the second request. When you ask for your new report after last year’s report date, your new report will be free. 🙂
In using time wisely, I request our reports every 4 months. This month, I requested Paul’s Experian report and my TransUnion report. Though the request options include web site and mail, my preference is by phone. Our reports will arrive by mail on the official letterhead within 2 weeks.
When the reports are in hand, I will do the following:
- Run a free Experian credit score for Paul
- Run a free TransUnion credit score for Tracy
- Replace last year’s reports with these accurate reports with scores in the first file slot of Box 1 of my important documents
- Put file box away until June’s credit check
Running the free credit reports keeps you informed of your active accounts and alerts you to any authorized new accounts. To protect your identity, request your credit reports on a rotating schedule. Happy organizing!
Question: Which credit scores will you request?