Editor’s note: We asked our resident money experts to share their financial resolutions for the year ahead. Here, the fifth in our series:

I’ve resolved to obtain and examine a free copy of my credit report as often as I can. Federal law gives everyone the right to a copy of their report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every 12 months through AnnualCreditReport.com. That not only makes it easier to find errors but also to detect identity theft, especially if you stagger them, ordering one every four months. To keep on top of things, I've always planned on doing that, but I kept forgetting, ending up with maybe one report a year. This year, I’ve set up a reminder on my computer’s calendar. —Anthony Giorgianni, associate editor