One other little tip (if it hasn't been mentioned already, I'm too lazy today to go back and re-read) ... it is critical to pull your credit report at least once a year, and isn't a bad idea to pull it from all three agencies as they may have differing information. Of course you're going to pay for this, but if you can catch a fraud early on, the cost is well worth it... the site I use is www.myfico.com and I have no regrets about spending the money annually to keep my mind at ease.