Planning to Apply for a Loan? Start Monitoring Your Credit Now

Be aware of any changes or inaccuracies during this critical time

Are you thinking about applying for a mortgage or bank loan? Or maybe you're up for a new job – one that would require a credit check.

If you're considering any kind of major life move, be sure to consider the credit implications. And here are two more words of advice: don't wait. This major life event may be months or even a year or two in the future. And that's exactly why you need to begin monitoring your credit now. Yes, now – because a change to your credit report can happen so fast, and takes so long to resolve, and has such major financial consequences that most people literally can't afford not to monitor their credit file.

Let's say you're getting ready to purchase a home – congratulations! For most people, this will be the single biggest financial transaction of their lives and the largest monthly expense. The better your credit score, the lower the interest rate could be for your mortgage. On the average home, at today's interest rates; the difference can come out to thousands of dollars per year.

Using credit monitoring is simply an investment to ensure you present the most accurate and compelling personal financial picture to lenders.

Now you've seen the importance of credit monitoring during important financial periods. How do you find this vital service?

IDENTITY GUARD^® - the leader in credit management services - is committed to helping consumers understand and protect their credit ratings. Our EXTRA CAUTION^SM service monitors all three major credit reporting agencies - Equifax^®, Experian^®and TransUnion^SM - to keep you apprised of your credit score and alert you promptly to potentially suspicious changes to your credit file - minimizing the risk of real damages occuring. It's a 3-3-3 credit profile - 3 credit reports, 3 credit scores, 3-bureau monitoring.

Plus, with EXTRA CAUTION^SM, you get daily surveillance of the Internet's "financial black markets", "back alley" chat rooms and news groups. Patented scanning technology helps ensure that your important financial information is not being compromised or "swapped" in sites frequented by identity thieves.

IDENTITY GUARD® also offers Credit Analyzer, an interactive, online tool that helps predict how certain actions - for example, applying for a mortgage - might affect your score.

Want even more help? IDENTITY GUARD® also has Credit Education Specialists to answer questions regarding your credit report and credit score.