Today on MyMoneyLife with Chuck Bentley

When was the last time you looked at your credit report? With identity theft on the rise, many experts recommend you check your report regularly.

But that can get expensive.  These days you can spend $10 for one report from a single credit bureau, or $30 for a 3-in-1 report from all three: Equifax, Transunion and Experian.

But here are some other options, according to SmartMoney.com:

• You can get one free credit report every year from each of the 3 bureaus.  And you should do that at a minimum.  Why not?  It’s free.  Just go to annualcreditreport.com.



• You can also get a “not so” free credit report by signing up for a monthly monitoring service at one of the 3 credit bureaus.  That’ll cost you $12 a month.



• And now there’s a third option, but I’ll let you decide if it’s free or not.  Web sites like Credit.com or Quizzle now offer free credit reports in exchange for sharing some of your information with third parties.  The result is that some customized advertising could be coming your way in exchange for those free credit reports.

Well, if you don’t like any of those options, here’s another possibility:

Pay for a 3-in-1 credit report once a year.  In between, take advantage of the one free per year offer at annualcreditreport.com. That way you’ll be checking your credit at each of the 3 bureaus every 6 months and it will only cost you $30 a year—a good compromise.

Dos and Don'ts of Credit Cards

The primary cause of financial problems for most families is the misuse and abuse of credit cards.

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Credit Card Interest and Fees

By the Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act of 1988 credit card issuers are required to provide applicants with detailed information.

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Using a Credit Card

There is nothing wrong with using credit cards if people are able to discipline their use by following some very simple guidelines.

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Rollover Method for Paying Off Credit Cards

There is a light at the end of the debt tunnel. By applying some simple principles, you can begin to pay off credit cards and become debt free.

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Other Resources:

• ABCs of Money Package
• Career Direct
• God's Principles for Operating a Business
• Business By the Book
• Crown Mvelopes