How Do I Check My Credit Score And Credit Report?

By Grant Baldwin--> May 13th, 2009
Filed under Credit/Credit Scores

By now you’ve probably heard about terms like “credit score” and “credit report”, but what exactly do they mean and does a teenager even need to be concerned about them? 

As for what they are, you can look them up in our BrokePiggy.com Glossary.  Also, be sure to read “When should I start worrying about my credit score?“ 

But as for how to actually check them? Let’s talk about it…

  • Credit Report – You may have seen the commercials with the catchy jingles advertising free credit reports, but generally those are bogus.  Most of those sites will offer you your credit report for “free” but you have to first buy some type of product or service from them.  Not exactly free is it?  The only website where you can truly get your credit report for free is www.annualcreditreport.com.  It allows you to view each of your credit reports once every 12 months.  I say “each” of your credit reports because you actually have three, because there are three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  So you can either view all three of them at once or view one every few months and space it out. 
  • Credit Score – Your credit score is a little different in that there is no true place to check your credit score for free.  There are several sites out there that you can pay to get your credit score if you needed to.  While you need to keep an eye on your credit report for possible identity theft and to make sure everything is being reported properly, you really wouldn’t need to check your credit score unless you were planning on taking out a sizable loan for something like a house.  One site that offers a free “estimate” at what your credit score is www.creditkarma.com. 

YOUR 2 CENTS – Have you ever checked your credit report or credit score?     

Related posts:

  1. What Factors Are Used To Figure My Credit Score?
  2. When Should I Start Worrying About My Credit Score?
  3. What Happens To My Credit If I Pay All My Debts?
  4. If I Get A Student Loan, Will My Credit Score Be A Factor?
  5. What Should I Do If My Identity Is Stolen?

One Response to “How Do I Check My Credit Score And Credit Report?”

  1. Stephanie PTY says:
    May 13, 2009 at 10:15 pm

    I space my three credit reports per year out – one every four months. I also look at Credit Karma about once a month, although it hasn’t budged the whole time that I’ve been checking it. It’s good to stay on top of it, but until I’m looking to get a big ticket item, I’m not placing too much priority on it.

    [Reply]

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