While I and scores of others having been trying to shed theholiday pounds and start the New Year off physically healthy, Ihave seen just as many people completely ignoring their financialhealth. Budgeting and cutting debt can be a daunting task, but agood first step toward a financial makeover is to pull your creditreport.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers can receive afree copy of their credit report from each of the three nationwidereporting agencies – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – every 12months. you should check yours for inaccuracies or unauthorizedaccounts to make sure your report reflects your actual creditworthiness and identity thieves haven’t been wreaking havoc.

Many television advertisements and websites claim to offer “freecredit reports,” “free credit scores” or “free credit monitoring.”However, Better Business Bureau reminds consumers thatAnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized source for freeannual credit reports under federal law.

Additionally, BBB reminds consumers that a credit report isdifferent than a credit score. a credit report is a snapshot ofyour credit use history that gives a lender a view of whether youpay your debts back or not. Your credit score is a number whichshows lenders how much of a risk you are in paying back a debt.

BBB offers these tips for pulling your annual credit report:

- Do not access the Annual Credit Report Request Service throughlinks from unfamiliar websites. If you get an e-mail or see apop-up ad claiming it’s from AnnualCreditReport.com or any of thethree nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply orclick on any link in the message. to help ensure the privacy andprotection of your personal information, go toAnnualCreditReport.com directly to request your free annual creditreport either by secure website, phone or email.AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email,telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.

- Consider pulling your reports quarterly. while you can pullall three credit reports at once, you can also consider pullingyour credit reports quarterly. Pulling your reports separatelyallows you to better monitor your reports and keep track of anychanges or new information that may appear on your credit report.If you pull all your reports at once, you won’t be eligible to pullyour report for another 12 months.

- Pull your child’s credit report. As child identity theftremains a national problem, it can be just as imperative to pullyour child’s report as it is to pull your own. while the creditreporting agencies do not knowingly maintain credit files on minorchildren, you can contact the credit reporting agencies directlyand they can run the report.

- Avoid companies that claim they can improve your credit forfree. The Federal Trade Commission cautions consumers to be wary ofcompanies that make claims regarding credit repair. Thesecompanies, commonly called credit clinics, don’t do anything forconsumers that consumers cannot do for themselves at little or nocost. Beware of any organization that offers to create a newidentity and credit file for you. For more information on creditclinics and a list of warning signs visit ftc.gov.

- Dispute inaccuracies on your credit report. Inaccurate,derogatory information can lower your credit score and may indicatepossible fraudulent activity. If you find information that youbelieve is inaccurate, you have the right to dispute it free ofcharge. It’s best to address any potential inaccuracies as soon asyou spot them so contact the reporting agency you pulled yourreport from immediately to file your dispute.

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Getting copy of free annual credit report is part of financial health – Mywesttexas.com: Business