The very first time I requested a credit check was when I was buying my house. This was 5 years ago now. I remember being really impressed at how good my credit score was since I had only been out of college and working a real job (not counting my internship during college) for a year at that point. I was happy that my parents got me a credit card while I was in college. At the time I thought it was just for convenience so I could buy my books, groceries, etc but it also helped build my credit history. After I graduated and took over payments of my card, my Mom suggested I open another credit card and split my purchases, always being sure to pay off both cards. That would more quickly build credit history and help raise my score as well.

At the time when I was buying my house I got my credit checked by the bank that was pre-approving me for loans. But now I can get my credit check for free if I need to from sources like Experian. Each year when I do my taxes I get a free credit report to make sure everything that shows up is legitimate and confirm there has been no suspicious activity. Identity theft is too common these days so it is always a good idea to check for these things. Of course you have to be careful not to check too frequently, either, or it may cause a decrease in the credit score. According to this article called Credit Scores: What You Need to Know, if too many inquiries are made into your credit score it can actually drop because it may seem you are looking for new credit sources and appear to be in financial trouble. But if you pay all your bills on time, don’t max out your credit cards, and have a lengthy credit history with the same credit company or financial lender, your credit score should be pretty good.