Free credit report deadline extended

The three major credit bureaus have extended the period they’re providing access to your credit reports for free.

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion have announced that they will continue to offer consumers access to free weekly credit reports through April 20, 2022.

That’s an extension of a full year past the original free access period the credit bureaus announced not long after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under federal law, American consumers are entitled to get just one free credit report per year.

You can get your weekly credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Once you get access to your report, carefully review each section.

“This is an opportunity for you to see what’s going on with these reports,” money expert Clark Howard says. “And the sooner you see it, the quicker you can do something about correcting the error.”

DEAR READERS: Make certain you have one or two places where all family records are kept. This could be in a safe deposit box, a secure drawer at home, on your computer or in the cloud. Make sure they are accessible to family members in case of an emergency. Here’s what to include in your family records list:

■ Will and trust agreements, along with insurance policies and funeral plans.

■ Safe deposit box key and information (make a list of what’s in the box).

■ Bank and brokerage accounts, pension plans and business records.

■ Credit card and Social Security numbers.

■ Doctor, family lawyer and hospital data.

— Heloise

SLUMBER PARTY IDEA

DEAR READERS:

When your younger girls gather for a slumber party, here’s a fun idea for them. Get a box or two of macaroni and have them make pasta jewelry with the uncooked noodles.

Provide them with different color felt-tip pens or paint pens and colorful string. They can draw designs on the noodles and then run string