Happy Friday!

While I like the FreeCreditReport.com commercials, I would never sign up for the service. Since you have to get a paid service in order to get the *free* report.
Happy Friday!

While it is possible for you to get a free credit report once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus, you often have to pay for your credit score (creditkarma.com offers a free credit score), and for any additional views. (Exception to that is when you are denied credit, in which case the agency used must provide you with your credit report if you ask within 60 days.)
Now, however, it is possible to check your credit report and your score from TransUnion, as much as you want, for six months. The reason? Apparently a clas action lawsuit …read more

While it is nice to get an occasional free credit report or free credit score, getting all three credit reports from the major bureaus at once, complete with credit scores, can get a little pricey. If you are interested in getting all three credit reports and scores in one fell swoop, you can get Credit Complete from MyFico.com. And right now, the company is offering the following discount on the service:
From now through July 31st, myFico is offering online communities a 20% discount on the FICO Credit Complete (all 3 FICO scored and reports) from. Visit http://www.myfico.com/Products/FICOThree/Description.aspx …read more

Your credit history is important. That’s why the 18th tip is to:
Regularly check your credit report.
Look for inaccuracies and take the steps to fix mistakes on your credit report. You are entitled to a free credit report each year from each of the three major credit bureaus.
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about how if you want access to your credit score, you have to pay for it.
I was wrong. And I’m glad to be.
Ken Lin over at Credit Karma contacted and let me know that there is a free service that allows you to see your credit score — and track how you are doing. It’s his own Credit Karma Web site.
It’s not free to Credit Karma, though. The company pays TransUnion for a copy of your credit score, which is then displayed. So you will have to provide your Social Security …read more

A lot is written about your credit score:

How to improve your credit score (from paying down credit card debt to paying your bills on time).
What goes into a credit score (payment history, amounts owed, etc.).
Why your credit score is important (better rates, loan approval and more).
Where to find your credit score (MyFico.com, major credit bureaus).

But what isn’t addressed very much is how much you will pay to see your credit score.
It doesn’t cost that much: $5.95 to $15.95 per score, depending on where you go and the services that come with it.
But it still costs money. And you usually have …read more

Just to be clear: I don’t advocate freecreditreport.com, which only gives you the credit report after you sign up for the credit monitoring service.
I prefer a truly free credit report once a year from each of three bureaus via annualcreditreport.com. (Hint: Space them out and get one from a different bureau every four months.)
That said, enjoy the commercial. Happy Friday!

Kelly over at Taxgirl sent me an interesting link. It’s about a woman in Indiana whose husband died. When she tried to collect her widow’s benefits, she was told that records indicated that she was the dead spouse. www.theindychannel.com reports on part of her story:

The government also sent a letter to her deceased husband, dated Nov. 16. It begins, “Dear Mr. Anderson: Our condolences on the loss of Mrs. Anderson …”
While humorous to us, it is important to note that there is a lesson here: It is important to periodically check your personal information. You want to …read more

If you haven’t been reading those notices that come in your credit card statement, or if you haven’t looked on your statement for your credit card interest rate, you may be in for a rather unpleasant surprise.
Some credit card companies (Discover notable among them) are in the habit of periodically checking your credit report. They look for things like increased purchases or credit inquiries that result in a lower score. And then they use it as an excuse to jack up your interest rate. This is a somewhat cruel and disheartening practice for some, especially since it makes it extra …read more