This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
I went through the school of hard knocks here
Someone had opened an account in my name and had racked up a couple of thousand dollars in debt on the credit card.
What Should’ve Happened
I should have prioritized consistent monitoring. At the time, I was not checking my credit profile as much as I needed. Interestingly enough, I’m glad this happened because I learned I need to take more preventative measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again. I’ve been more on top of all of my account information ever since.
There are a couple of free places to check your credit profile. Banks are even offering this feature within your account and giving live updates about your profile.
American Express
They recommend that you review all of your credit reports (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) at least yearly. But I think you should check your reports more often to ensure no inconsistencies.
A lot can happen to your credit profile in a year if you’re not watching. It’s precisely what happens to me. A change can take place in a matter of days. Stay vigilant.
Other Things To Check Frequently
Savings balances
Checking balances
Investment balances
Retirement fund balances
Stocks, crypto, and real estate balances
Transactions – ensure every transaction is accounted for
Cash on hand – whether you keep cash in your wallet, purse, or wherever check that it’s still there frequently.
Automated payments – sometimes you set up an automatic payment, but it doesn’t successfully go through, or your bank blocked it. It’s happened to me more than once. Sometimes companies will alert you when a payment doesn’t go through, but they don’t always do this. I highly recommend you monitor the payments for accounts linked to your credit profile to ensure everything is coming out as scheduled. Student Loan Example: I had a student loan automated payment coming out, but my bank randomly blocked it for some reason – ending up in the payment being late. Thankfully, the Department of Education didn’t ding my credit; that would’ve blown. But from then on, I always checked to ensure my payments successfully went through because you never know. Technology fails us often.
Insurance expiration date – Many insurances renew automatically. Still, sometimes they don’t. Check to ensure you don’t have any lapses in insurance because if you do, it can sometimes cause an increase in your rate.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.