// Free Credit Score
Free Credit Score
Sugar Editorial Picks
Free Credit Report Scams Aren't Going Away
By now we all know about the not-so-free nature of those FreeCreditReport.com services; a few of you even say you've fallen for its misleading practices. But even after the government publicly condemned the site, "free" credit monitoring services — which require you to sign up for a paid service, but promise you can cancel at any time — are popping up everywhere.
One friend recently had a particularly nasty experience with one of these companies while apartment hunting.
Four Situations When You're Entitled to a Free Credit Score
Acquiring your free credit report is relatively simple: Just remember to visit AnnualCreditReport.com for up to three reports each year, not tricky FreeCreditReport.com.
Unfortunately, getting your free credit score isn't as direct. There are certain little loopholes that can get you a complimentary score, but there also a handful of legitimate circumstances that grant you a free credit score — no slick loopholes required.
Other Search Results
Your Fall Financial To-Dos
We're thrilled to present this smart Learnvest story here on Savvy!
Every season, we’ll bring you the top to-dos to get your financial life in order. Back-to-school season isn’t just for students and parents; we can all take a line from the back-to-school playbook (or, em, textbook) by planning for the season ahead.
How to Get Your Free Credit Score
We're all eligible to receive three free credit reports every year (one from each of the national credit bureaus), but credit scores typically come at a cost of $15.95 per score. There are some unreliable sites out there that may claim to have access to free credit scores, but generally those sites aren't trustworthy.
MyFICO.com is actually a division of Fair Issac, the company that calculates consumer credit ratings for lenders, and is a legitimate source of credit information.
Another Reason to Get Your Credit Report — Your Job Search
By now you know your credit score, credit report, and fiscal responsibility are vital pieces of keeping lenders in your good graces. But, did you ever consider that a less than ideal credit score could be a deal breaker for a prospective employer?
According to the Wall Street Journal, employers running background checks on potential hires are also anxious to get their hands on their credit reports.
Money Tip: Stay Alert to Avoid Identity Theft
Unfortunately, my sister's been hit — someone got a hold of her bank account information and opened a couple new store charge accounts, racking up quite a sum in fraudulent charges. She's not completely negligent with her personal financial information, so I was pretty surprised they got their hands on all of these sensitive stats, but in the digital age, keeping track of your finances means there's no room for carelessness. Stay up to date with your bills and financial statements and follow these tips so you're always on top of it:
- Don't carry around your social security card, ever!
How to Keep Track of Your Credit For Free
Most lenders use your FICO scores to determine your credit worthiness, but typically it costs you money to retrieve your own score. You have three FICO scores (one from each major credit bureau) based on the information each bureau keeps on file about you. If you don't want to shell out cash every time you have the urge to check your score, there's a solution for you.
Obama Lays Down the Law on Free Credit Report Ads
The original jingles for FreeCreditReport.com couldn't save the website from getting scrutinized by the law. The credit card reform bill signals a score of changes for the credit card industry and more, as demonstrated by the action taken against the scammy credit report site.
Notoriously, FreeCreditReport.com advertised its ironically named service through commercials that led consumers to believe credit reports ordered on the site were actually free.
Ask Savvy: Why Was My Credit Card Application Denied? Part II
Dear Savvy,
I'm new at this credit thing and I'm not sure when or why I should check my credit report. I have never had a credit card (still don't) but I got denied for one a few weeks ago and I don't know why. Does checking my credit report worsen my credit score?
Ask Savvy: Should I Transfer My Debt Balance to a 0% Card?
Dear Savvy,
I have two credit cards with high interest. Should I pay them off with my one card that has zero percent interest to reduce paying over $750 annually in finance charges?
Savvy says: I'm assuming by "paying them off" you mean transfer your existing balances to an introductory rate, zero percent card.
More on SavvySugar
Top Brands
DC
Psssy
Nails Inc