It's important to check your credit report at least once annually to monitor for signs of identity theft or fraud, as well as check for any errors.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. But don't order the reports directly from the companies. They are providing free credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228. If you prefer to mail in your request, you can get the details on how to do so on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website.

To take full advantage of these free reports, instead of ordering all three at once, order a report from a different company every four months. That way you can spread out these freebies and check your report throughout the year.

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