Keeping an Eye on Your Credit Card

The Duo are, alas, no strangers to identity theft--and the guy who made merry with Steve's credit rating didn't even need a computer. In the latest In Sites segment, the Duo turn up a site that'll actually help you protect yourself against the criminal element, no matter where the bad guys got your info.

The site (www.annualcreditreport.com) is the product of a recent federal law, and it's going live in stages across the nation throughout 2005. It's a persnickety thing, to be sure--you'll have to avoid similar-sounding sites, pay careful attention to what you're doing, and don't even think about forgetting that initial "www"--but the results can be eye-opening.

What'll you see? Steve's credit reports had a lot of accurate information, but also contained data on several long-dead accounts--and each of the three had at least one of the addresses used by the scamster who damaged his credit the first time around. Knowledge in this case really is power, and Steve was able to use the information to correct the errors--but even now, he's not entirely confident that the credit agencies finally have it right.

Angela, impressed, recommends that you check the credit report for each member of your family. Take it slow and follow the instructions carefully. As Steve notes, the results may not be pretty, but this is a great way to find out what the world (or at least the financial world) thinks of you.