If you thought that old school day joke about having a "permanent record" was just for kicks, think again. We all have a record that others can pull up, review and use to make decisions about employment, big loans and even dates. The best way to see what others can find out about you is to investigate online.



While it is possible to investigate online without assistance (in some states and jurisdictions), there are faster ways to get the job done. There are some very good programs available that can cut through the red tape of finding out what information is open to the public for perusal and some that will even assist in helping you see what institutions such as banks and policing agencies can find out, as well.

Finding out what is out there on your "permanent record" is a very important thing for individuals to do for a number of reasons. These include:

* Personal protection. With identity theft on the rise, it just makes sense to investigate online and keep doing so to ensure no one is using your name for you. When you investigate online, you can see if people have tried to do things such as apply for credit in your name, apply for licenses, enroll in school and so on.

* Personal satisfaction. It's always reassuring to investigate online and find out there's nothing hiding in the closet. It's a sense of security and it can even prove very beneficial for those seeking jobs to know what potential employers mind find.

So, what kinds of information can you find out about yourself if you investigate online? A whole lot! Remember though that not everyone who looks to investigate you online will have access to the same kinds of information. Banks, for example, won't need to pull your criminal record, and employers generally won't check your credit.

With that said, here's what you can find out by choosing to investigate online:

* FBI files. It is possible for you to pull and review your FBI file, if you even have one.

* Arrest records. Of course you'll know if you've been arrested or not, but it doesn't hurt to make sure no one else has who has been using your name. It's not unheard of for bad people to use the identity of good people to keep their names clean.

* Credit report. This is one of the most vital pieces of information you can find out about yourself when you investigate online. It's very quick and easy to see what's on your record and what shouldn't be.

By pulling this report, you can find out if it's accurate and if anyone else has been using your credit to your disadvantage. Most services that assist with pulling credit reports also assist with paperwork to make any dispute claims, too.

* Family information. An online investigation is one of the best ways to do genealogy research. Immigrant records, census data and the like can all be found online.

It might seem a little out of the ordinary to want to launch a full-scale investigation into your own background. But considering the things that might be "out there" for others to see, it's not a bad idea to investigate online to ensure the information there is accurate.