Keep above the contents of your credit report is like servicing your car. It will prevent long-term problems, and while some people may be qualified to do themselves, for most of us, it is probably best left to the professionals.
Thank you to the fair and accurate credit Transactions Act (FACT Act or) you can request a free credit report each year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to AnnualCreditReport .com.
While the development of AnnualCreditReport.com brought a lot of awareness among the general public about the importance of staying on top of their credit report and score, we believe that most consumers need more protection than just once a five-year of their credit health examination. Consider what would happen if you change the oil in your car once a year!
Fortunately, all major report and services that make it easy to monitor your credit as they happen monitor offers credit credit bureaus. This is much better than relying only on your free annual credit report because changes can post any time your credit. If you only check your credit report once a year, you could let the negative elements or errors are sitting on your report for months to identify. This can cost you time and money in the long term.
Each credit report monitoring services give you access to reports and credit scores, as well as email alerts if suspicious activity or negative items appear on your credit report. The type of reports and the frequency with which you can access vary by provider. We strongly suggest that readers sign up for a credit reporting service that provides access to reports and scores from all three credit bureaus.
Our top picks are Equifax Identity Guard because they offer both access and monitoring of all three of your credit reports for one low monthly payment.
If you want more information on the credit report monitoring services, you can read our free guide and reviews credit report at NextAdvisor.com.