Monday, December 11, 2006

Meanwhile, while you were gone for four years....

This post is a bit off the beaten track, but a lot can happen over four years.  Laws change, credit cards offers endlessly arrive at our state-side addresses.  Bill come and are paid (hopefully) by those we’ve asked to care for those things.  And so, even while we’re gone, the US financial-legal system continues to churn away.  Most of us, myself included, have no idea what’s happening to our credit rating while we’re gone. 

While driving in the car the other day I happened to catch about five minutes of the Clark Howard radio program.  While listening I was reminded that each of us is entitled to an annual free credit report.  I had actually tried to figure out how to do this while overseas but never figured it out.  It’s actually much easier than you might imagine.  In other words, I have not idea why I didn’t do this much earlier.

If you’re interested in checking your credit report go here.  You’ll be guided through an encrypted online process were you can view and print your credit report.  I did it and, while every thing was in order on my report, I was surprised to see a couple of things I’d entirely forgotten about and probably need attention.

In all, the process took about ten minutes (mostly because my printer is so slow).  Ten minutes every 2–4 years is a pretty small price to pay for ensuring my financial ‘i’s’ are dotted properly.

2 comments:

Dr. D's Diagnosis said...

Unfortunately Dude, you can only access that website from an USA ISP :-( What a bummer. Ciao, D

Jeff said...

Dude, that is a bummer. I didn't know that.