Your Actual Payment Record
pull your credit history at least once a year to check if there are any liens or mistakes. ''You may discover that you're listed as having missed a payment that you thought you made on time,'' The three main reporting bureaus--Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax--charge a small fee for a copy of your credit history. If, however you have recently been denied credit, employment, or insurance, such a report is free from all three companies.