Check up on your credit every year

Did you ever apply for credit and were refused? There may be something on your credit report that’s holding you back. But it might not all be accurate. Checking your credit report at least once a year helps you know what’s there – and keeps you on track for a healthier financial future.

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free credit report from each of the three major reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The law entitles you to a free copy from each one every 12 months. If you’re getting ready to finance a big purchase, like a home or car, you might want to check all three. Or you can stagger them, and review one every four months. Always review it carefully. If you find errors, take these steps:

• Dispute them yourself. You don’t need to use a credit repairservice. By law, consumer reporting agencies and the creditors that provide the information in your credit report are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report.
• If errors on your credit report seem to be the result of someone stealing your identity, go to identitytheft.gov to get personalized steps to report and recover from identity theft.

If you find things on your credit report are correct, just bad for your credit, you can work on fixing it yourself. It takes time and patience, but you can do it. And then, after six to nine months of working on it, get another credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com to see where you stand.