Good Credit Habits

Good Credit Habits to Protect Your Financial Future

April 24, 2023
by Team SESLOC

Periodically reviewing your credit report and credit score is an important step to better protect and improve your financial health.  Follow these tips to develop good credit habits throughout the year that will help you stay on track with your goals and protect your identity.

Good Credit Habit #1

Review your credit report & score at least three times per year.

A credit report is a record of your credit history, including any loans or credit cards you have and how you have managed them. Credit reporting agencies use this information to calculate your credit score, which is a three-digit number that represents your creditworthiness.  You can obtain a copy of your credit reports from each of the three reporting agencies at www.annualcreditreport.com. 

By reviewing your credit report regularly, you can make sure that all the information is accurate and up-to-date. This can help you detect errors or fraud that could be hurting your credit score.  

Good Credit Habit #2

Have a plan to maintain & improve your credit score over time

Managing your credit score is also important because it can affect your ability to get approved for loans or credit cards, and can even impact your ability to rent an apartment or get a job. By making on-time payments, keeping your balances low, and avoiding opening too many new accounts at once, you can improve your credit score over time.

Having a good credit score can also save you money in the long run, as you may qualify for lower interest rates on loans or credit cards. Whether you are trying to improve your ability to obtain credit, build good credit to buy a home, or just get out of debt, set realistic goals, and develop a plan to achieve them.  Monitoring your credit report and score will help you stay on track. Some examples of financial goals are:

Good Credit Habit #3

Activate credit monitoring with alerts so that you can react quickly to potential errors or fraud that may endanger your identity and your financial accounts.

Credit monitoring is a service that allows you to keep track of your credit report and credit score on an ongoing basis. It offers several benefits, including:

Overall, credit monitoring, along with regular review of your credit report and score, can provide you with the power to take control of your financial health and protect yourself and your family against fraud and identity theft.

Remember, if you find or suspect identity theft, contact us. We are here for you! With HomeFREE Checking you have access to a professional Identity Theft Recovery Advocate, who can help you dispute fraudulent credit activity to keep your credit and your identity YOURS!

 


Prepared by NXG|Strategies, Copyright 2023.