If you haven’t been monitoring your credit, here are 3 reasons why it’s critical to stay on top of it regularly — month-to-month, week-to-week, even day-to-day.
1. Tracking credit changes.
As accounts open and close and balances go up and down, your credit profile also changes. Depending on how credit active you are, these changes can even happen from one day to another! By monitoring your credit, you’re making sure you’re on top of these changes so you always know where you stand.
2. Checking for inaccuracies.
Your creditors may inaccurately report something to the bureaus. For example, your credit card company could mistakenly report that your account went unpaid. Since this could negatively affect your credit health, you’d want to know right away so you can clear things up.
3. Protecting against identity fraud.
Lastly, your credit reports may present the first or only chance you have to detect suspicious, possibly criminal account activity: an address change to somewhere you’ve never lived, a new account you haven’t opened or a credit inquiry you didn’t make. Regularly monitoring your credit reports helps you become aware of suspicious activity so you can act quickly to help limit any damage.