It is vitally important for your credit health to be monitored on an annual basis. You have a right to get a free annual credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. 

You can apply online to get a free credit report by logging on to the official website called www.annualcreditreport.com. Here you can sign up and receive one free report from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. It usually takes two to eight weeks to get them in the mail.

By monitoring your credit reports, you can check to make sure the information on your credit file is accurate. Statistics show that 80 percent on Americans has incorrect items listed in their profiles. 

Identity theft is affecting millions of people daily. Protect yourself by checking for any suspicious account activity is not present in your credit report. You can place a fraud alert on your account immediately to prevent further damage while the credit bureaus investigate.

Order your free credit report from all three credit bureaus every year to maintain your credit profile.