You may want to consider monitoring the accuracy of your consumer credit reports throughout the year. With inaccuracies in what creditors report and the rising threat of identity theft, now is the time to know exactly what is on your credit report and to begin monitoring your credit report activity.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says it takes 12 months, on average, for a victim of identity theft to notice the crime. A credit monitoring service will alert you, usually daily or weekly, to changes in your credit. This service will help you to stop the theft before it gets out of control.