SALT LAKE CITY -- Many consumers turn to credit protection services to ensure their credit is safe -- but some people may be buying this protection when they don't need it.
Credit monitoring and credit protection services will never hurt, but they do cost.
Preston Cochrane with AAA Fair Credit Foundation says you can get a report every year from each of the three main in credit bureaus through annualcreditreport.com.
"You can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars simply by routinely monitoring your own credit," he said.
You can spread them out through the year or get one before you make a big purchase.
"You can call and ask them, the lender, which credit bureau or which credit report they pull from prior to even applying from a loan with them," he said.
Cochrane says people who are trying to rebuild their credit, people who are specifically worried about credit fraud and people going through a divorce need credit monitoring services more than others would.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
