You should check your credit report at least once a year to ensure that it’s accurate and that nobody is “borrowing” your identity and opening accounts you don’t know about.

You can get one free copy of your credit report every year from each of the three major credit bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling them at 1-877-322-8228.

You can also get a free copy of your credit report if you are ever turned down for credit because of something on your credit report. By law, the company turning you down is required to share that information with you. You should then immediately write to the consumer credit reporting company that created the report and ask for a copy. If you ask for it in writing within 60 days after being turned down for credit, legally, the company has to give you a free report. This will help you identify problem areas in your credit history, so you can work to correct them for the future.

If there’s an error on your credit report, make sure to dispute it promptly with the appropriate credit bureau. The three consumer credit reporting companies are:

Equifax, www.equifax.com, 800-685-1111
TransUnion, www.transunion.com, 800-888-4213
Experian, www.experian.com, 888-397-3742

Who else is looking at my report? You need to know that whether you’re checking your report or not, others are. Landlords, banks, auto dealerships, credit card companies, cell phone companies, insurance companies, and even potential employers are all looking at your credit report and credit score. It might be good to know what they’re seeing.