With your free report, you can easily check the accuracy of your credit data, see what companies have accessed your credit report, and view the credit and loan accounts you've held. Your report also lists items that affect your creditworthiness so that you can take steps to improve your credit. With the increase in identity theft crimes, your credit report is also an important tool in allowing you to check for unauthorized activity.

For a fee, the credit bureaus offer you the ability to order credit scores, credit-monitoring products, plus an array of other proprietary credit tools and services. For credit score explanations, score simulators, and other personal credit tools, visit www.myfico.com.

Free credit reports are currently available for consumers living throughout the United States. To get your free report:

• Visit www.annualcreditreport.com (copy and paste this address into your browser)
• Call 1.877.322.8228
• Fill out a request form and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281

If you request a report any other way, you may get charged and your personal information may not be secure or used for proper purposes, so be sure to order your report through one of the ways above.