Our Blog

How to Protect Your Credit

With the amount of financial data circulating online, it has gotten easier for people to gain unauthorized access to your...

With the amount of financial data circulating online, it has gotten easier for people to gain unauthorized access to your personal information. But it is also easier than ever to use online tools to protect yourself, and credit checks are a great place to start. With regular credit checks, you can spot identity theft, get ready for a large purchase that depends on your credit report, and maintain good credit by periodically verifying the accuracy of your report.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act permits you to request a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three national consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Reports from these companies show you who has issued you credit, the amount of money you owe, your payment history, companies that have asked to view your credit, and past addresses and employers

When it comes to getting a free credit report, the only resource you need is AnnualCreditReport.com. It is the official site authorized to provide free credit reports by the Federal government. Simply go to their site, request a credit report and answer a few questions to verify your identity. It’s that easy.

Be wary of imposter sites that offer free trial periods, have hidden fees or otherwise charge for their services. Also, if you’re looking for your credit score, this isn’t the place to find it. Your credit score is simply a mathematical formula to predict how likely you are to pay future bills based on past information, and the number can vary depending on who calculates it.

To further protect yourself, you can “freeze” your credit report until you use a PIN to unlock it. This prevents identity thieves from opening credit in your name, even if they have been able to access other personal information, but does not affect your current lines of credit. Previously only available to victims of identity theft, credit report freezes are now available for little to no cost from all three credit reporting companies. Just keep in mind that credit report freezing might not be right for you if you frequently access your credit reports or tend to open new accounts often. In those cases, the cost and effort required to “thaw” your reports may outweigh the benefits. 

There are also other ways to monitor and protect your credit if you are willing to pay for them. LifeLock is a  popular identity theft protection service that includes credit monitoring and alerts. If you have been the victim of identity theft in the past, or think you are at high risk, this may be a good option for you.

The Federal government has numerous bodies to help you understand and protect your financial information. If you are looking for information about credit reports, your rights or the laws pertaining to them, you can go to the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau for help.

Image courtesy of MorgueFile: http://mrg.bz/WqLsKU

Back

DISCLOSURE: Investment advisory services are offered through Gretchen Stangier, Inc. DBA Stangier Wealth Management (“Stangier Wealth Management”), an investment advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Stangier Wealth Management only offers investment advisory services where it is appropriately registered or exempt from registration and only after clients have entered into an investment advisory agreement confirming the terms of engagement and have been provided copies of the firm’s ADV Part 2A brochure and Part 3 documents.

DISCLAIMER: This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a complete description of our investment services or performance. This website is in no way a solicitation or offer to sell securities or investment advisory services except, where applicable, in states where we are registered or where an exemption or exclusion from such registration exists. Information throughout this site, whether stock quotes, charts, articles, or any other statement or statements regarding market or other financial information, is obtained from sources which we, and our suppliers believe reliable, but we do not warrant or guarantee the timeliness or accuracy of this information. Nothing on this website should be interpreted to state or imply that past results are an indication of future performance. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM ANY INFORMATION POSTED ON THIS OR ANY ‘LINKED’ WEBSITE.

You may also like

How Your Savings Account Can Become Your Retirement Redeemer

Many news stories and advisors lately seem to focus investment strategies as a surefire way for people to gain extra…

Eating the Estate Planning Elephant… One Bite at a Time, Part I

No one wants to look at it, no one even wants to think about it, yet there it looms —…

Eating the Estate Planning Elephant… One Bite at a Time, Part II

You may have been cohabitating with your proverbial estate planning elephant for some time now, but if the first part…