The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, click on annualcreditreport.com, call 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Now this new FICO score is supposed to be an improvement and we really welcome any improvements to credit scoring since there are so many mistakes that can be made with credit scores. Here's what this score will mean for folks: The new FICO '08 scoring model will really target folks in the subprime category of scores in the 600s. These are the people that lenders are really struggling to predict how well they might pay their bills.

They are the folks whose credit score might change the most as bankers move to this new model. (If your score is in the 700 to 800 range you are less likely to be impacted).

This new program takes care of a couple of problems we've been talking about for sometime. For example, a library card fine won't send your credit score plummeting because the new scoring model ignores collection accounts under $100. It will also ignore isolated delinquencies. So if you forgot to pay your utility bill while you were on vacation, but were good for all other debts, don't worry, your credit score won't be affected.

First, this isn't likely to happen anytime soon.