Released: January 16, 2006

Before making a big purchase, check your free credit reports

Source: By Teresa McUsic, Fort Worth Star Telegram

If you are in the market to make a major purchase such as a car or a house this year, don’t forget that you now have free access to your credit reports.

Consumer advocates suggest that it’s a good idea to check up on your reports at least once a year, whether you intend to buy anything or not, to check for accuracy and to watch for identity theft.

The reports from the three credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - became available for free last year under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. But so far, the bureaus are not releasing the number of people who have accessed their reports or the number of complaints they have received through the process.

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