our individual credit report is one of the most important barometers of your overall financial health.This summary of your financial reliability — prepared by credit bureaus (also called credit reporting agencies) — tells lenders about your history of paying bills and is used by them to decide whether to loan you money and how much to charge.

A new law makes it easier than ever to access your credit report and to change any errors it might contain, a major step toward establishing and maintaining your good credit and preventing identity theft.The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) assures you free access to the report annually from each of the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. All regions of the country were covered by September 2005.

To receive your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com.