Many of us never bother to check our credit. Because? Because we feel like we’ve been through some tough times; Maybe you defaulted on a loan, had a previous eviction, or even stole a few items from a rent-to-own business and the world of credit has scarred us for life. This is why learning how to check your credit for free will give you an overview of where you stand with your credit and see how bad it is or isn’t.

First, let me tell you that you shouldn’t just assume you have bad credit. If you’ve had a problem with non-paying bills, collections, or even judgments against you that don’t stay on your credit report forever, don’t assume you can’t get credit because of your past.

Many sites will tell you to contact the creditor and pay off your old debt, but what smart people will tell you is to check how long ago your bad debt was reported to the credit bureaus. After seven years many items will fall off your report and while it is the most honorable thing to contact your creditor and pay it off, the smart thing to do, especially if you don’t have the extra money, is to let it disappear into the sunset and be gone. forever. Just remember, never try to get credit from the company again because they will remember and reject you outright.

A great and free way to check your credit is through credit monitoring sites like Credit Karma. Now, this is not an advertisement for the website, it is simply letting you know that by entering your personal information, you can get a complete account of who you owe, how old the debt is, and how much they claim you owe.

This site, like many others, will offer suggestions based on your credit score, giving you what credit you are likely to qualify for. The forum is full of other people just like you who have had credit ups and downs, so you’ll know what to expect before you apply.

The truth is, some people are just afraid to check. Again, they assume your credit is horrible, so they have no bank account (due to bad checks), no credit cards (due to defaults), and end up using the local brick and mortar to cash checks and credit cards. prepaid debit, both. to which you have to spend money to have access. It’s crazy spending money to add money to a prepaid card, or paying 3-5% to collect your paycheck.

If you’re ready to get your credit and can use it responsibly, now is the time. Once you’ve signed up and reviewed your situation, try the shopping cart hack to see if you qualify for department store credit cards. You can find this information at My Sista Gurl and see how easy it is to get cards like Victoria’s Secret, The Avenue, Gap and more without extensive checking of your credit report.