ABC News has a great article about how credit scores are calculated. Once someone starts getting back on track with their debt, the typical first question is what’s my credit score. Many people don’t know the credit score process, and a surprisingly fewer number of people know that you can receive your credit report annually for free. No, it’s still not free if you visit "free"creditreportdotcom.

First, read the article above, then visit annualcreditreport.com to get your credit report from all three bureaus. There are some hoops (even though it’s supposed to be simple to get your report), like you’ll have to register with the bureau’s site, before you’ll be able to access it. Then, when you’re in, examine the report and print it out. It’s usually available for 30 days.

If you find a discrepancy, then dispute it. It’s important to check your report regularly (yearly) to make sure you’re on tract to success.