What do experts say about credit monitoring services?
While credit monitoring can be useful in some cases, experts agree that for many people, it’s an unnecessary expense. Experts agree that: • Most people don’t need to pay for credit reports. They can get the information they need by watching their bills and by requesting and reviewing the free annual credit reports they are entitled by U.S. law to receive (and may have additional rights under state laws). • Ads for credit monitoring services can be confusing. These services advertise aggressively on television, online, and elsewhere, raising unwarranted fear about credit. And some people have paid fees to these companies for months when all they wanted was a copy of the report they could have received for free. Monitoring your credit report without paying unnecessary fees Fortunately, you can usually avoid paying unnecessary fees by being proactive about monitoring your credit report on your own. Here’s how: • Obtain a free copy of your credit report every year. Every U.S. citizen is en
