For the eighth year in a row, identity theft led the way in 2007 as "the number one consumer complaint category". The Federal Trade Commission's list of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints also reported that the most common form of identity theft was credit card fraud, which accounted for a large portion of the $1.2 billion in consumer fraud losses last year. It's clear that identity theft is not only here to stay, but it's one of the fastest growing crimes in America.

Are you ready to take matters into your own hands and improve your credit? If so, congratulations for having the courage to do something about your credit problems. Many people choose to avoid the issue in every way possible, so you are taking an important step in the right direction. Making the time to repair your own credit is also an excellent alternative to paying an expensive credit repair agency to accomplish tasks you can complete right from the comfort of your home.

Existing credit card customers are of great value to credit issuers, and that will never change. In fact, some analysts estimate it costs credit card companies more than $200 to acquire a new customer. Therefore, once they have you, they really don't want to lose you. So if you are unhappy with your current interest rate, the best thing to do is simply pick up the phone, call the number on the back of your credit card, and tell them what you want. You may be surprised how easy it really is.

Identity theft scammers never grow tired of finding new ways to deceive the unknowing into divulging personal information over the phone. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission recently reported that identity theft scammers are hard at work using the looming election day as a new way to steal your personal information. Don't be fooled - protect yourself and your credit score!