The date of April 15th is often one that looms over the heads of most people around the country. For those last minute tax filers, April 14th is a late night indeed and one that is full of pressure as we hurry to do what we have essentially had months to do. Maybe it will turn out better than we think it will and we will be spared having to come up with taxes owed to the Federal or State government; maybe we will even be owed a refund. But whatever the outcome, the fact of the matter is that taxes are simply something we have to do each year.

But while we are already focused on our finances why not use this tax time as a time to remind ourselves to order our free credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus? While our credit report is something around which much of our financial life revolves, too few people pay close enough attention to it throughout the year. Instead they are caught off guard by the information it provides when they go to apply for a loan or rent an apartment and then must begin the process of familiarizing themselves with the information provided by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion so that they can take steps to rectify their credit report.

So now, while the country prepares to file their taxes we should also look to be proactive about our credit report. Starting now we should all order a free credit report from each of the credit bureaus; something that we are allowed to do once within every twelve months. By going online we can order all three credit reports in one place or order one at a time throughout the year. More than anything, we can mark this time as the time at which we have begun to take stock of our financial health.

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