4 Ways to Check Your Credit for Free
Summary
There’s no need to pay for your credit score, credit report and even credit-monitoring services. We’ve gathered 4 easy ways to do it, all totally free.
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Your credit score is just three digits, but it can have a huge impact on your personal finances. That’s why tracking it is one of the best ways to stay in control of your finances.
There’s no need to pay for checking your credit score, credit report and even credit-monitoring services. And checking your score won’t have a negative impact on it. Here are four easy ways to check your credit for free, no strings attached.
1. Annualcreditreport.com
By federal law, all U.S. consumers are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months. You can get yours from each of the three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Annualreportcreditreport.com is the official, government-mandated website that will provide you with these reports.
Getting your credit report from this website is a simple process. You’ll fill out some personal information to confirm your identity. After that, you can view each report online and print or save it.
It’s important to note that you won’t find your credit score here, just your credit reports,
which contain detailed financial history used to determine your score. Take time to review them carefully and if you see any errors, report any mistakes on your credit report as soon as possible.2. Credit card issuers
If you have a credit card, there’s a good chance the bank or credit union that issued it offers a free way to check your credit, as well as a free credit-monitoring service.
If you don’t have a credit card, you may still be able to take advantage of these services. These free credit monitoring services not only give your score and credit report, but also contact you if something changes:
- MyCredit GuideTM
- CreditWise®
- Credit Journey
- Credit Scorecard
3. Banks and lenders
Like credit card issuers, many banks and lenders provide free access to your credit scores, as well as credit-monitoring services.
For instance, OneMain Financial offers customers free access to their VantageScore® credit score, which is updated monthly. If you’re unsure what your bank or lender offers, reach out to them or visit their website.4. Financial apps
Free apps abound when it comes to personal finances. Many provide free credit scores and monitoring, too. Popular and highly rated, Nerdwallet, CreditKarma and Credit Sesame all offer user-friendly credit monitoring that’s easy to understand. They also provide recommendations on how to boost your score, as well as notifications when anything changes. CreditKarma goes one step further by enabling you to dispute your Transunion credit report directly from the app. Be advised, Consumer Reports recommends exercising caution when using such apps, citing privacy concerns and aggressive marketing.1
Know the score
Remember that big changes start with small steps. The first steps toward strengthening your credit score are learning what it is, checking it periodically, and staying on top of any changes. Once you’re more aware of where your credit score stands, you can start improving it.
1. https://www.consumerreports.org/credit-protection-monitoring/hidden-costs-of-credit-score-apps-a5900455243/
This article has been updated from its original posting on Oct 12, 2020. Jessica Leshnoff contributed.
This article is for general education and informational purposes, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose and is not intended to be and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or any other advice. Parties (other than sponsored partners of OneMain Financial (OMF)) referenced in the article are not sponsors of, do not endorse, and are not otherwise affiliated with OMF.
