 TITLE: How Can I Get Free Credit Monitoring? CONTENT: What Is Credit Monitoring?\n--------------------------\nFree credit monitoring from Experian is a service that lets you know when certain changes to your Experian credit report occur. It also sends you regular updates on your FICO® Score☉ credit score based on Experian credit data.\nTo help protect you from fraud, Experian credit monitoring notifies you when the following events take place:\n*   **Credit checks known as hard inquiries**: The first step lenders typically take when processing a loan application is to request a credit score and a copy of your credit report to evaluate your creditworthiness. If you receive an alert about a hard inquiry that isn't connected to an application you've made, it could indicate a criminal is seeking credit in your name.\n*   **New accounts**: If a new loan or credit card account is opened in your name, Experian will alert you right away. The sooner you spot a fraudulent account opened in your name, the sooner you can take action.\nYou don't need to worry about these credit monitoring alerts as long as they're connected to your normal credit activities—applying for and opening a new credit card account, for example. But if you receive an alert about an action you're not aware of, it could be a sign of criminal activity, and you should contact the lender in question right away.\nExperian credit monitoring also alerts you to the following circumstances that can lower your credit score:\n*   **High credit card balances**: Carrying a credit card balance that exceeds about 30% of the card's borrowing limit can hurt your FICO® Score and VantageScore® credit scores.\n*   **Missed payments**: A history of on-time payments is the most significant contributor to healthy credit scores, and even one missed payment can cause significant score reductions. If you forgot to make a payment or a payment you made wasn't processed correctly, this gives you a chance to rectify the issue. More rarely, an alert can flag a missed payment on an account you didn't know existed, opened in your name by an identity thief. END