How to Check Your Credit Report for Free

As the new year gets going personal finance experts suggest you make sure checking your credit is high on your to-do list.

That way if you decide to buy a car, a house or do some refinancing you, not the bank, will catch any mistakes or errors.

“If there is something wrong that’s on there, January is a great time to fix that or to work towards fixing that,” says MSNBC.com’s Bob Sullivan.

Bad credit reports are also a risk for job seekers.

“Most companies now will pull your credit report when you apply for a job with them, and if there’s something suspicious on there they’ll just move on to the next candidate,” Sullivan warns.

Some of the best advice about credit reports, though, is how to get one.

They’re free.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only place you can get your free, Congressionally mandated credit report each year.

That mandate has been in place for five years, but recent surveys have shown only one-third of eligible Americans take advantage of it.