Obtaining and maintaining your credit reports and credit score
Like your annual medical exam, this data serves as your routine credit check up - only you’re wise to schedule this exam every four months. Get it more often if you have a need - a big purchase on the horizon or a job change, for example. Pay for it, if you have to. It won’t kill you. For information about ordering your credit reports and credit score, read Post 4.
Read your credit reports - every word. Errors do happen and when you’re dealing with billions of pieces of data a month, they can happen a lot. Do you count your change when you check out at the supermarket or a restaurant? Your credit report is no small change. Dispute the errors, outdated information, and negative stuff that belongs to someone else’s report.
Check for signs of identity theft and take immediate action if you discover evidence that someone else is using your good name. Post 13 of this site addresses identity theft in detail.