St. Louis (KSDK) -- It turns out, what you don't know can hurt you when it comes to your credit.

Your credit score can affect whether you get a loan or even a job.

Credit counseling experts advise us all to check our credit reports several times a year to catch mistakes and identity theft.

Your credit score contains years of information about your credit history, which is information used to create your credit score.

Experts also advise pulling the credit reports for your children because of the threat of identity theft that could go undetected.

For more information about how to get a copy of your credit report for free once a year, visit this related story.

KSDK