As the New Year approaches, this is a good time to check your personal credit. Identity theft is on the rise and with the proliferation of the Internet it is reaching alarming proportions. Thieves access your personal information through a multitude of means these days and you may not be aware of the problem until severe damage has been done. The Federal Trade Commission has a website with a link to the only authorized on line source to obtain your credit report from the 3 main credit reporting companies. The service is free and you are entitled to obtain the report once every 12 months. A good suggestion is to obtain a report from one of the three main agencies every four months. This way you can keep an eye on your credit throughout the year. There are some other legitimate sources to obtain the information, however, most come with strings attached or a fee to continue monitoring your credit. Protect yourself from ID theft and loss. Make this an every year process and mark your calendars to check your credit every four months.
Have a safe and happy New Year!