Staying Organized and Best Free Tools
Credit Karma: Monitor Your Credit
I have mentioned this before but will repeat it again. Monitor your credit.
Sign up with Credit Karma and Experian or some other combination of free credit monitoring services that can help you monitor your credit reports.
Sign up to be notified anytime your credit is checked or a new account is opened. You want to make sure you are the only one opening accounts in your name.
Free credit monitoring with TransUnion and Equifax reports. Get instant alerts when your credit is pulled or a new account is opened.
Sign Up Free →Free Experian report monitoring (the third major credit bureau Credit Karma doesn't cover). FICO score included on the free tier.
Sign Up Free →Why Monitor Your Credit?
Fraud does occur and credit monitoring helps to detect or prevent fraudulent transactions and identity theft. Even if you don't open any accounts to earn miles and points, I recommend this step to everyone. Identity theft is becoming all too common and the best way to fight it is to know every account that is opened under your name and social security number.
Real-time alerts when a new account is opened in your name — so you can shut it down before damage is done.
See exactly how many new accounts you've opened in the past 24 months. No more guessing whether Chase will approve you.
See how new applications, balance changes, and aging accounts move your score over time. Catch dips before they hurt approvals.
Confirm which authorized user accounts and old cards are still showing on your report — useful when prepping for Chase applications.
Together, Credit Karma and Experian cover all three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian). That's why I recommend signing up for both — different banks pull from different bureaus, so you want eyes on all three.
