Monitoring your credit report

• 1). Get a free copy of your three credit reports from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp. This is the only legitimate site authorized to issue reports on behalf of credit bureaus. The report will give you your credit history, but not your credit score.
  
  
• 2). Check your credit reports for errors. It can be something as small as a typo in your address or something big, like a loan you don't recall taking out. Minor errors can hurt your credit score. Major ones can be a sign of identity fraud.
  
  
• 3). Report any errors to the credit bureaus. They will investigate the source of the errors. You may be asked to provide evidence of your claim, such as a cancelled check.
  
  
• 4). Request your credit score directly from the credit bureaus. You can do this on their websites. You will have to pay between $10 and $20. The other option is to sign up for their monthly credit monitoring service. This lets you check your credit score any time you want. However, unless you really need to know your credit score at all times, it may not be not worth the $12 to $18 a month they charge.
  
  
• 5). Check your free credit reports at least once a year.
  
  

Raising your credit score

• 1). Make all of your credit card and loan payments on time. Late payments are one of the main causes of low credit scores.
  
  
• 2). Pay off as much debt as you can. If you make only the minimum payments on your accounts, you may stay in debt for years.
  
  
• 3). Avoid maxing out your credit cards. Lenders like to see a low debt-to-credit ratio.
  
  
• 4). Resist the urge to close all your credit cards once you've paid them off. Having one or two long-term cards will lengthen your credit history.
  
  
• 5). Avoid applying for several credit cards or loans in a short period of time. It makes you look desperate for money and lowers your credit score.