Thursday thoughts: Have you checked your credit report lately?

Did you know that you can check your credit report for FREE every year? If you haven't been keeping tabs on what your credit report shows, here's how you can check it at no cost!  Having a good credit score and an accurate credit report are important if you plan to borrow money in the future. If you are going to buy a car, purchase a home, rent an apartment or apply for a credit card, lenders will look at your credit report to help them determine if you are good credit risk. 

With the enormous amount of identity theft consumers have experienced, it's a good idea to check your credit report to make sure all the information is correct. I was at the bank the other day and the bank employee told me that her identity had been stolen months earlier and it was causing a great deal of chaos in her financial world.

Have any of you been a victim of identity theft? How long did it take to get things back in order? Any suggestions for the rest of us?