You might want to keep this list for the next time you receive your credit report:

• Check your credit limits against your records. If you see credit limits that are lower than what they actually are on your statements, protest it.

• If you see notices of collections, charge-offs, late payments, or other negatives, dispute them. Likewise, if you see the words “settled,” “paid charge-off,” or anything else that indicates other than the accurate statement that you paid on time and in full, dispute those claims.

• Make sure you have a calendar nearby. If you see collections or other negative items that might be more than seven years old on your account (or a decade old in the case of bankruptcy), these should be off your report. You need to fight to get them removed.

In most important things you do — buy a house, apply for credit, apply for a job — credit records are becoming a much bigger factor. Many people check their credit reports only when they suspect a problem.

Increasingly, it's important for consumers to set up a regular annual schedule to check each of their credit reports and make sure they're accurate.