How Often Should You Check Your Credit Report for Errors?

More often than not, when people have negative items on their credit report, they are aware of it.  They fell behind in payments, had a collection, or maybe had a lien or judgement against them.

However, there are times when negative credit items or errors can “sneak” their way on to a credit report and remain undetected until one day when the consumer goes to apply for a credit and either gets declined or told that there is a problem.

This can even happen as a result of fraud or identity theft.

So how often should you check your credit report for errors or any potential negative items?

For those who really want to be on the safe side, reviewing your credit report monthly is the best way to go.  MyFico.com offers monthly plans where you can get a copy of your report monthly.  You can choose from a 1-bureau report or a 2-bureau report.

Of course, there is a cost involved with getting a reliable and accurate credit report.  So if you don’t want to do that every month, we recommend getting a copy of your report at least twice per year.  We hear horror stories all the time about people who have had egregious errors or even fraud on their credit reports and didn’t find out about it until they needed to qualify for a loan.

When you do get that credit report, if you detect errors or have negative items that need to be disputed, we can help!  Contact our office if you have questions or would like additional information.