Improve Credit and Protect from Identity Theft Types in 2013

January is a time for changing your ways for the better, so why not apply that mindset to your credit as well? Diane Moogalian recently wrote a wonderful article for the Equifax Finance Blog entitled, “Five Things to Boost your Creditworthiness in 2013.”

In this article, Moogalian offers readers five excellent things they can do to improve their credit and help protect from identity theft types. One of these tips reveals the importance of fixing errors you may discover on your credit report or in your mailbox. If you’ve ever gotten a bill in the mail for something you already paid for, don’t just throw it away! Take some time to dig a little deeper to make sure you haven’t been reported to collections in error.

This type of error is important to catch before it goes on your credit report because it has less of an impact on your credit score if caught early. However, if it does make it to your credit report, take action immediately to fix the problem. File a dispute with the credit reporting agency (such as Equifax) and then try working with the creditor in question to resolve the error. Be sure to record everything that occurs during the dispute, including keeping notes with dates and the names of everyone involved. Your credit will be much better off if you keep an eye out for errors and take care of them swiftly, should any occur.

The Equifax Finance Blog offers even more tips for improving your creditworthiness this year, so read the rest of this article for more useful pointers. Then look around the blog for more great articles about identity theft information, credit cards, taxes and more!