Should You Check Your Credit Report Right Now?

Yes.

If you are over 16, have a social security number, and if you've bought anything in your name, you probably already have a credit report and you should know what it says.

• You are entitled to receive one free credit report a year from each credit bureau. That's why we recommend that consumers get a free credit report every four months by asking for the report from a different credit reporting bureau every four months.

• However, the credit bureau won't give you for free what you need to know: your credit score.

Here is an example of a credit report from Equifax (one of the 3 main bureaus). Scroll over the numbers to see an explanation of the various areas.