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Check Your Credit Every Year

Check your credit annually.  Once a year, go to the only official source for fast, free credit reports, http://www.annualcreditreport.com.  ; AnnualCreditReport.Com was created by the three U.S. credit-reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.  It is the only official credit report-providing site.  Consumers should never provide personal information to any other company or person when requesting free credit reports.      

There is only one official and free credit report site, AnnualCreditReport.Com.  Never provide personal information to any other company or person claiming to offer free credit reports.

Read your file carefully.  Make sure everything is accurate including your personal information, your home addresses, your employment history and your credit history. 

Your credit scores.  A credit score represents your actual credit history.  Lenders, prospective employers, landlords, insurance companies and other organizations use it to determine your creditworthiness.  Scores can range from a low of 300 to a high of 850 with higher numbers reflecting stronger credit history.  In the U.S. in 2010, the median credit score was 723. 

Your credit score is the result of a mathematical model that combines many factors related to your credit.  For a modest fee, you can request your credit score from one of the three credit agencies when you check your credit at AnnualCreditReport.Com.