Mar 18, 2021 3 min read

Opportunities to check your credit score – for free – are more prevalent than ever. Christine Turcheck advises consumers to seize those opportunities.

“You want to make sure your credit is in good standing and you’re not a victim of identity theft,” said Turcheck, vice president of retail loan operations for Community Bank. “It’s important to check your credit report.”

Important, indeed. Credit reports display an overview of a person’s bill payment history, current debt and other financial data. Lenders use the information to determine mortgage, credit card and auto loan applications, plus the interest rate to offer.

Until last April, Equifax, Experian, TransUnion – the main credit bureaus in the United States – allowed consumers access to one report, at no cost, per year. But shortly after the pandemic hit the nation, creating financial havoc, all three agencies expanded access to one free report per week through April 2021.

With the virus still exacting a toll, those bureaus recently extended the weekly service to April 2022 – after next tax season.

Reports, according to Forbes.com, can be accessed at AnnualCreditReport.com – after verifying your identity. An individual also can request a report by phone or via postal mail, and can select any or all of the agencies – even the three at once. One could, conceivably, view 156 reports over 12 months.

The bureaus expanded their credit report access to aid a struggling population. CEOs Mark W. Begor of Equifax, Brian Cassin of Experian and Chris Cartwright of TransUnion, in a joint statement, told USAToday two weeks ago: “Access to financial information and records on a more frequent basis helps people plan for their future while also taking care of the present.

“We strive to make credit more accessible and available to people every day, and we hope continuing to make free credit reports available each week is helpful to consumers.”

Turcheck, a Community Bank employee for 20-plus years, echoed that sentiment. “This gives people more time to keep a close eye on their credit history,” she said. “People have a lot to deal with, from bills to scammers and other things.”

Fraud and identity theft have become major issues during the pandemic, and not just in unemployment compensation programs across Pennsylvania and numerous other states. She said her 93-year-old grandfather has been targeted, but had the savvy to avoid being victimized.

“He got a call claiming to be from his grandson, who needs money right away. He said, ‘I’ll have to speak with my attorney first.’

“Scams are happening all the time. It’s amazing what people can do with your card or your account. Scammers are smart. They make everything seem to be very legitimate.

“The sad part is that fraudsters take advantage of a lot of people during hard times.”

Turcheck said ID theft more than doubled between 2019 and 2020. Diligently monitoring your credit score, she said, can prevent that or quickly remedy a situation if something is amiss. “Make sure nobody has opened an account in your name.”

The banker also advises consumers to closely examine their banking statements.

“I’m in the mortgage department and even when we pull a person’s credit report, we do lot of verification,” Turcheck said. “We have all kinds of checks in place, but ultimately, it comes down to consumers who are on top of things. It’s important to check your credit report.”

You can now do it about 160 times over the next year.