Your credit report is an education for you in your financial history. It is the basis of any decision a lender might make regarding giving or refusing credit to you. It is a smart move to arrange to see your credit report.

We can obtain copies of our credit report for free, on an annual basis, from the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Go to annualcreditreport.com to obtain these copies. Please request reports from all 3 agencies because they may differ.

The reports will all contain a section with the usual identifying information such as name, address, social security number, etc. The reports will not have information about you personally such as race, assets, salary.

There will be a section related to any credit lines. These credit lines will include loans, mortgages, credit cards, gas and department store cards. It will give the date each credit line was opened, credit limits, payment history (including late payments), balances, overdrawn bank accounts, and unpaid child support.

Credit reporting agencies also receive information from the court system. This section will have a listing of bankruptcies, liens, judgments, divorce.

Any time that you fill out a credit application ( credit card, loan ) there will be a credit inquiry to one of the bureaus. If you inquire for yourself, it will be on the report. These inquiries will remain for 2 years.

If the information on your credit report is positive, this is to your benefit. If the report has negatives, this information will remain for 7 years. A bankruptcy remains for 10 years.

It is highly recommended that we obtain and seriously review our credit reports to be aware of differences on each report, locate any and all errors. It is up to each individual to monitor his/her own credit profile, fix errors, and repair personal credit.

With over 79 million cases of identity theft in the last year, it is one of the most rapid growing crimes in the US. Identity theft costs consumers billions of dollars each year, and is very expensive to the individual that becomes a victim of this crime.

Identity theft is often looked at as an individual’s problem, though it ultimately affects each and every one of us. We all suffer when identity theft occurs. Identity theft is a type of consumer fraud that occurs when someone steals or assumes another person’s identity for the purpose of financial gain, ultimately through some sort of criminal activity.

Thieves will use an identity theft victim’s sensitive personal financial data to commit the crime. The data they will use includes credit card numbers, bank account information, and Social Security Numbers. Through the unauthorized use of such information, the thieves intend to get a financial gain through illegal means.

In order to not become a victim of identity theft, you need to be very careful with how you handle your sensitive personal data. You also need to be aware of your online activity, including the use of email, as this is becoming an increasingly popular avenue for identity theft.

While there are certain steps you can take in handling your personal affairs to ensure you are not a victim of identity theft, there are also identity theft protection products to aid in your fight against this crime. Identity theft protection is something that you should seriously consider investing in, as it is a great way to protect your identity.

An identity theft protection company will automatically place fraud alerts on your accounts with the major credit bureaus. Fraud alerts are one of the best ways to prevent identity theft, and can be done manually or through a service. The advantage of using a service is that they will automatically renew your fraud alerts, which is something that has to be done every 90 days.

Identity theft is definitely on the rise, so protecting your identity is becoming a more critical issue. Because of the seriousness of this crime, using an identity theft service to lock down your identity is one the best ways to protect your identity.

Not only will an identity theft protection company really help you protect your identity, if you happen to become a victim of identity theft, they will help you recover from the crime. So when you purchase the services of an identity theft protection company, you are purchasing a safety net in case you do fall victim to ID theft.

Identity theft is the fastest-growing white-collar crime in the US, and it often has devastating effects on those that become its victim. Take the necessary steps today to ensure that you do not become identity thefts next victim.