While it's always a good idea to stay on top of your credit report, it's absolutely essential to do so after a bankruptcy. Brown advises her clients to pull their credit report 60 days after their case closes to check for any errors. Chances are there will be some mistakes. But that doesn't mean you should hire a credit repair company.

"Do not be sucked in by credit repair companies," says Barry Roy, an attorney in Livingston, N.J. "Most of these are shams that are in business only to take your money. The truth is nobody can legally remove accurate negative information from a credit report. Credit reporting agencies are obligated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information, usually within 30 days. They are not required to remove accurate information unless it is more than seven years old or bankruptcies that are over 10 years old."

If you do find errors on your credit report, Roy advises consumers to try fixing them on their own. "An individual has the absolute right to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information on their credit report, and the credit reporting agency must investigate the dispute without charge," he says.