Don't be the last to know what your credit report says about how you handle money, especially if you're considering borrowing money for a house or a new car.

Your credit report includes how much credit you have and how you repay your bills; public record information, including arrests, bankruptcy, tax liens, or monetary judgments filed against you; and identity information such as name, nicknames, Social Security number, birth date, current and previous addresses, and names of past and current employers. It also lists the names of anyone who's obtained a copy of your credit report for any reason. But, lenders aren't the only ones seeking information about your credit. Landlords, employers, and insurers may use credit report information to help them decide whether to hire you, sell you an insurance policy, or rent you an apartment. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a credit bureau may sell your report only to lenders, insurers, landlords, employers, and businesses that meet the need as defined by law. You must give written consent before credit bureaus can give information about you to your employer or to prospective employers.

To get a copy of your report, contact all three major national credit bureaus: Experian at 888-397-3742; Equifax at 800-997-2493; Trans Union at 800-888-4213. Each copy may cost up to $8; however, you may be eligible for a free one if you've recently been denied credit, a job, or rental housing because of negative information on your report.

The denying party must give you the name and address of the credit bureau that provided the information and, under federal law, you're allowed a free copy of the report within 60 days of the denial. Be wary of any on-line or other offers that promise a free copy. To get the "free" report, one such offer requires you to sign up for a year's worth of credit protection service for an automatically renewing fee of $60.

Finally, when you receive your report, look it over for inaccurate information. If you find mistakes, follow the credit reporting agency's instructions on the back of your report outlining how to request corrections. The agency must investigate your claim, usually within 30 days. Under federal law, if an agency can't verify a disputed item, it must delete or correct the item.