The best time to get your finances in shape is now.  People traditionally make resolutions today that they jettison days later. Here is one resolution you can keep from the safety of your favorite easy chair.
Your credit history impacts various aspects of your life and your pocketbook, such as the cost of insurance, interest rates on loans, the amount of a security deposit or a loan down payment. A bad report could keep you from getting some choice jobs. The government requires the major credit bureaus provide you with one free copy of your credit report each year. Take a look at www.annualcreditreport.com. There, you can request an online report or you can download a mail in form.  Many consumer lawyers recommend you use the mail in form so that you do not waive you right to recover damages for mistakes by consenting to the fine print terms and conditions imposed upon the online version. The mail in version carries no such restriction. For your convenience I provide a copy of the free credit report mail in form on my website.
You are permitted a free report from each of these three bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.  Most people select a report from all three at the same time. There is a charge for additional reports after the first free one. Regular subscribers remember my tip about how to receive free credit reports throughout the year. I set my calendar [Google, Outlook, whatever] to remind me once a year to request a free report from one of the bureaus, then four months later I have another calendar reminder prompt me to request one from another bureau and four months later I have the last reminder set to request a report from the last bureau.  These reminders repeat annually, so every four months I send the mail in form to a different bureau and I receive a free report three times a year. Today I mailed my request to Equifax. Four months from now I will order the Experian report, then four months later I will request the Trans Union report. That way I get regular updates on my credit report, throughout the year, for free.
