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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Reader Recommendations => Topic started by: GOFU on March 26, 2018, 11:54:00 AM

Title: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: GOFU on March 26, 2018, 11:54:00 AM
What is the best way to check one's credit score?

With whom should I do it most safely and securely?

Thanks!!
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: boarder42 on March 26, 2018, 11:59:21 AM
credit bureaus let you request your report once a year.

Most other sources are not correct - but safety is all in what you make of it.   anything and anyone can be hacked.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: sparkytheop on March 26, 2018, 12:02:45 PM
I have three cards that allow me to see my credit score free on their website.  I've heard an argument that "it's not the same thing that will be used if you try to get a loan", but it's close enough for me, and my score is high enough that I just look at it every now and then as another form of monitoring my credit (if someone opened a card in my name, it would drop a little, so I'd know something was up).

Credit karma, when I have checked it out, has been very close to my score with the credit card companies, and it doesn't count as a credit check/hurt your score.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: GOFU on March 26, 2018, 12:08:34 PM
@boarder42  So I need to request a report separately from the big 3 credit reporting agencies? Is there a consolidated report that is reliable?

I get that anyone can be hacked, but I am looking for recommendations on where and how to minimize risk.

@sparkytheop  You are not worried about giving sensitive information to Credit Karma?

Thank you both.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: boarder42 on March 26, 2018, 12:10:36 PM
i have a credit karma site - who cares.  you're not gonna protect your info from everyone its out there.

credit karma and all the CC companies are notoriously incorrect though.  you said you wanted accurate - go to the bureaus - but then how good is there security. 

you want security get off the internet and go live in a cave connected to nothing.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: MDM on March 26, 2018, 12:17:30 PM
Have you looked at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action?

One way to proceed:
1) Get all 3 reports now
2) Get 1 of the 3 12 months from now
3) Get another of the 3 16 months from now
4) Get the last of the 3 20 months from now
5) Get each report one year after the last time you received that report.

Variations on that theme include:
1) Get 1 report now
2) Get a different report in 4 months
3) Get the third report in 8 months
4) Get each report one year after the last time you received that report.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: GOFU on March 26, 2018, 12:26:29 PM
I have three cards that allow me to see my credit score free on their website.

Thanks for this tip. I got a reading from my credit card company, which they say is "powered" by TransUnion. Good enough for my purposes now.

@MDM Thanks. I will investigate the link.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: boarder42 on March 26, 2018, 12:31:21 PM
I have three cards that allow me to see my credit score free on their website.

Thanks for this tip. I got a reading from my credit card company, which they say is "powered" by TransUnion. Good enough for my purposes now.

@MDM Thanks. I will investigate the link.

just know they are likely off by 40-100 points.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: sparkytheop on March 26, 2018, 01:01:47 PM
I have three cards that allow me to see my credit score free on their website.

Thanks for this tip. I got a reading from my credit card company, which they say is "powered" by TransUnion. Good enough for my purposes now.

@MDM Thanks. I will investigate the link.

just know they are likely off by 40-100 points.

I hear this, but that's never been the case for me.  Mine are within 20 points of each others (one has the 850 scale, the others use the 900 scale), and when I got a loan, they were within 15 points of what that company received when they requested my score.

I have a very high score though, so maybe it gets "sloppier" with other ranges.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: sparkytheop on March 26, 2018, 01:04:10 PM


@sparkytheop  You are not worried about giving sensitive information to Credit Karma?

Thank you both.

It's been a long time since I used credit karma, but I did some research before turning over my info, and I was satisfied that they were no less secure than anyone else out there, and they were highly recommended as a safe site to use (at the time, which was many years ago).
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: boarder42 on March 26, 2018, 01:37:17 PM
I have three cards that allow me to see my credit score free on their website.

Thanks for this tip. I got a reading from my credit card company, which they say is "powered" by TransUnion. Good enough for my purposes now.

@MDM Thanks. I will investigate the link.

just know they are likely off by 40-100 points.

I hear this, but that's never been the case for me.  Mine are within 20 points of each others (one has the 850 scale, the others use the 900 scale), and when I got a loan, they were within 15 points of what that company received when they requested my score.

I have a very high score though, so maybe it gets "sloppier" with other ranges.

i have a very high score but travel hack a ton so my score is all over the place all the time -  but CK is usually high.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: August26th on April 26, 2018, 02:47:08 PM
Annualcreditreport.com is the most accurate one out there, IMHO. You get one free credit report per year, and will pay about 8 bucks per bureau for the scores. The “free” monitoring services through credit cards are acceptable too, assuming you’re not trying to get a mortgage and need to know what your scores would be from a mortgage standpoint.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: Mrs Brightside on July 10, 2018, 12:27:16 PM
If you are looking for the SCORE rather than the report: You can get your real FICO 8 score for free through Discover. https://www.discover.com/free-credit-score/ (https://www.discover.com/free-credit-score/)

It does not require you to have or sign up for any credit card or account through them! They get the score from Experian and you can access it as often as you want, they say they update it every 30 days or whenever you re-check it. I imagine you may get some extra marketing from Discover but there is no cost. Note this is U.S. residents only.
Title: Re: What is the best way to self-check credit score?
Post by: Orin! on July 14, 2018, 07:48:28 PM
As of July 11th Experian.com will give you your Experian score for free. Previously they would give you your Experian credit report once a month without your score and would try to sell you all sort of extra frills including paying for your Experian score.

Credit Karma is ok. But their score is an estimate and I find it is usually lower than what it really is for me. Right now the actual score from Experian is 80 points higher than what credit karma is showing for me.