(NAPSI)—School will be out soon and that means summer vacation planning for families. Before planning your vacation, financial experts recommend reviewing your finances by getting a FREE annual credit report from Equifax, Experian and/or TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com.

One credit reporting agency survey showed that 72 percent of consumers spent more on their vacation than planned. The majority of that expense was put on their credit cards. Checking your credit report periodically can help you understand your financial situation when budgeting for a vacation or other large expense.

While most consumers know they can get a free credit report every year, only three in five do so. “Each year, there are over 25 million free credit reports provided to consumers,” said Eric J. Ellman, Interim President and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association. “Even so, many consumers, unfortunately, don’t exercise their right to review their free annual credit reports.”

The National Consumer Assistance Plan, an unprecedented program by the three nationwide credit reporting agencies in cooperation with the New York Office of the Attorney General, has been instrumental in educating consumers about how to get their free annual credit reports. Improving consumers’ understanding of their credit reports is a priority for the industry. By reviewing your credit report every year, you can check up on your financial health as well as identify issues that might cause a credit denial later.

When reviewing your credit reports, if you see information you don’t recognize, notify the credit reporting agency right away. All three of the nationwide credit reporting agencies can be accessed online, by phone or by mail. Whichever method you choose, the credit reporting agency will investigate disputed information and respond back to you with the results.

Go get your FREE annual credit report from Equifax, Experian and/or TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com. Make this summer a happy and credit-healthy one.

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Note to Editors: The credit bureaus are implementing a National Consumer Assistance Plan in New York state. It will be going countrywide. While the information is relevant and can benefit people throughout the United States, it may be of particular interest to news outlets in New York