How often should I get a copy of my credit report?

Because the federal government requires that each of the three national credit-reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—gives you a free credit report every year, consider staggering the receipt of each of your credit reports. That way, you'll get a continuous picture of how your credit picture looks. You’ll also be able to clean up errors as you find them (because errors can drag down a credit score) and you'll also keep an eye on identity theft.

To get a free copy of your credit report, visit AnnualCreditReport.com.