Okay, it’s not quite that easy.

But the new year does means it’s time for a credit check! Your credit report contains all the raw data used to calculate your credit score – open accounts, current balances, payment history – and while it takes a bit of work to change your credit score, you have to know where you stand before you know where you’re going!

Ever since consumers became entitled to a yearly free credit report (September 1st, 2005 for those of you interested) I have ordered mine to review and I’ve found some pretty interesting inconsistencies – a medical bill from when I was a minor, a lingering credit account that had been paid in full, and a small student loan that belonged to someone with a similar name.

How you taken a look at your credit report recently? It’s a great way to start the year on the right financial footing!

Today was a GREAT day.

After tackling a stack of new work on my desk, my boss called me into his office for an impromptu meeting where he gave me a bonus and a raise!

There were also talks of a year end bonus!

Since we’re in the thick of saving for a home, I immediately set up an ING direct deposit for the amount of my raise every payday. I also deposited my bonus and it’s going directly to pay down a balance on a credit card.

Yes – today was a great day.

Do you keep a close eye on your credit? Check you credit reports regularly? Yes – reports is plural. You need to be making sure everything is in order at all of the 3 major credit bureaus – Trans Union, Experion, and Equifax.

If you haven’t ever taken a look at your credit report or its time to take another look, free credit reports are available though Freebie Credit Reports. With a 30 day free trial, you also get your FICO credit score and credit monitoring and alerts – which is especially helpful if you’ve ever had suspicious activity on your credit report in the past.

Over 70% of credit reports contain errors and Freebie Credit Reports can provide you with the tools to locate and correct credit report errors. They also have a great list of tools and calculators to help you compare interest rates, calculate income, and estimate loan payments.

As always, read the fine print and make sure any credit related service is right for you.

Practically everyone is on Twitter, and with good reason. I follow thousands of people and businesses, which makes Twitter one of my biggest resources for news and information. You can send just about any question out in a Tweet and get answers within seconds!

Even my mom has started using Twitter! Which is funny and frightening all at the same time.

If you’re on Twitter and interested in personal finance, you should start following @creditloan for information on personal loans, credit cards, and debt consolidation. The more information you have, the better equipped you are to get yourself out of debt, right? Right now, they are running a little contest to help you pay off some of that debt – or maybe just have a nice night out on them. Just follow @creditloan and retweet the following:

Just entered the CreditLoan Visa Giftcard Giveaway. You can win by following @creditloan and retweeting. http://creditloan.com/twcontest

That simple Tweet gets you entered into a contest to win one of ten $100 Visa gift card, which can be used anywhere Visa is accepted! You could pay a bill, go out to dinner, or fill up your gas tank. It’s entirely up to you. Take a look at the contest rules and follow @creditloan for valuable information and your chance to win $100!

I panicked when I got letter in the mail from Chase yesterday saying that they are closing one of my credit card accounts. The reasons stated were:

• Bankcard balance grew too fast compared to credit limit and time on file
• Too few accounts with time on file greater than 36 months
• The number of bankcards opened has grown too fast

After a bit of research, I found that none of the reasons given were legitimate. The account closed was my oldest credit card account and has not had a balance for over two years. On top of that, I closed a half dozen credit card accounts about six months ago and have paid off two more since.

Basically, Chase gave me the boot because they weren’t making any money.

I actually took a slight satisfaction in paying off bills this week because I paid off a credit card and sent in the last payment for my wedding rings and new digital camera. I’ll be paying off one more credit card next week after some money transfers and then we are all ready for our NEW PRIUS which should be here in 2-3 weeks!

• $17 grocery
• $1142 rent
• $39 AT&T
• $366 Bill Me Later
• $42 pharmacy
• $77 NIPSCO
• $65 Sprint
• $791 Banana Republic
• $27 gas
• $279 collections (hubby – NOT ME!)

I got bitten by the shopping bug this morning, but it’s okay because I had a gift certificate to Target! I picked up some odds and ends, and two pairs of summer sandals…and now that I look at the website, there’s a ton more shoes that I want!

I love Target.