Active duty military and National Guard members take note: effective October 31, 2019, the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — will provide you with free electronic credit monitoring services to help you spot and combat identity theft.
These services are especially important for active duty military and National Guard personnel. According to the Federal Trade Commission, military families report identity theft at double the rate of civilians.
These services will help you prevent identity theft by alerting you through a mobile app, email, or text to changes in your credit file. These changes could include a change of address, late payments, bankruptcy information, foreclosures, and new accounts opened in your name. Seeing any of these changes on your credit report when you weren't expecting them could be an early indicator of identity theft.
Once you're signed up for these services, the agencies must notify you within 48 hours of any changes to your credit file.
Here's where to sign up for free electronic credit monitoring if you're active duty military or a National Guard member:
If you spot an error on your credit report, it's important to clear it up quickly because it could be a sign of identity theft. To do that, read the FTC's guide to disputing errors on credit reports. And if you think you're the victim of id theft, visit the FTC's Identity Theft website to report and recover from identity theft.
Get your credit checked once a year by one of our experts. It’s free, and takes about five minutes. Especially if you're thinking of applying for a mortgage or car loan... a credit review could be your ticket to lower borrowing costs and better financial stability.
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