Feb 17, 2016

Chart: How Often Do You Check Your Credit Score or Report?

From Credit.com:

credit_report_errors2

This provides a good opportunity to remind your students:

  • According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2012 study, about 20% of consumers have errors on their credit reports..which is why you want to check frequently!
  • You can access FREE credit reports from each of the three bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) at annualcreditreport.com. Space them out every four months and you get more frequent insights into your credit situation.
  • As we posted earlier (and this trend continues), more people are able to access their credit scores for FREE too.

Here are some great follow-up questions to ask your students about this resource:

  1. What is the minimum frequency at which you should check your credit score and report?
  1. Why is it a good idea to check your credit score and report on a regular basis?
  1. Why do you think so many people do not check their credit score and reports on a regular basis?
  1. What are some of the repercussions of NOT checking your credit score and report regularly?
  1. What are some steps you can take to make sure you check your credit score and report more frequently (if you are not already)?

Want this resource and questions in slide format to use in class? Click here!

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Check out the these NGPF Managing Credit Activities!

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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