The basics of credit monitoring

In today's world, a lot of things depend on your credit—loan approvals, insurance premiums, even the success of job applications. Having a good grasp on your credit can help you get ahead in life and save you time and money. While checking your free annual credit report is always a good idea, year-round credit score and report monitoring is equally important.

What is credit monitoring?

A credit monitoring service acts as both a personal assistant and watchdog when it comes to your credit. TransUnion's credit report monitoring service gives you frequent access to your credit history, so you can check your credit report as often as you like. It watches your credit reports and alerts you whenever there are changes to any of your accounts, such as new accounts being opened in your name, a credit card balance increase, or negative information like a late payment reported by one of your creditors. This helps you stay on track with maintaining a healthy credit score.

Credit score monitoring services can help prevent identity theft

There were 12.7 million victims of identity theft in 2014. According to a study by Javelin Strategy and Research, identity theft has topped the list of consumer complaints made to the Federal Trade Commission for the last 15 years. When identity thieves strike, they usually have your name, Social Security Number and sometimes even a credit card number.

What can identity thieves do with my information?

With your name and social security number, imposters can open credit cards, rent an apartment, take out a car loan and even open new bank accounts. Most victims don't realize they've been compromised until they review their credit report or credit card statements, and it may be too late. Using a credit monitoring service can help alleviate the headaches that come with trying to restore your identity after it's been stolen. Credit monitoring helps you to act immediately whenever anything suspicious occurs.

Credit monitoring at your fingertips

In 2013, TransUnion launched a new mobile application to help consumers stay connected with their credit and personal finances. This mobile app puts credit monitoring at your fingertips—no more waiting for an email to let you know you're in good shape. When you sign up for TransUnion credit monitoring, you can download the app from the Apple App Store from your iPhone. Gone are the days when you were notified about a potential incident of identity theft long after the fact. With real time alerts, this is an effective tool to help thwart identity thieves.

Credit monitoring won't prevent you from being targeted by identity thieves, but it can certainly help mitigate the damage. Getting alerts whenever changes occur on your credit report or to your score can be a great way to cut identity thieves off at the pass.