4 ms·
You're right, there isn't a service like this that I'm aware of. However, getting them directly from the 3 agencies isn't too difficult. A couple things: 1)
by encoderer 15y ago
You're right, there isn't a service like this that I'm aware of.
However, getting them directly from the 3 agencies isn't too difficult.
A couple things:
1) As somebody mentioned, you can use AnnualCreditReport.com
2) However, I prefer to call them and request a paper copy be mailed to me. They include more complete information than online versions.
3) Never, ever pay for a copy of your credit report. If you just want a copy every few months, it's easy. There are many reasons by law the agencies have to give you a copy for free. You're looking for a job. You didn't qualify for a better interest rate. You were denied credit. Etc. They don't police it. For example, go to equifax.com/fcra right now, you can fill out the form and have an online copy for free in just a couple minutes. Just say you're looking for a job, it'll work fine. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing morally dubious about this: This is YOUR credit report.
4) Don't ever pay for a "score" from them. In nearly every case, they will not be a real Fico score anyway. They will be the agencies proprietary, useless score. Lenders use fico. If you want to know your fico, you can purchase it from MyFico.com. There are usually promo codes if you look around.
Certain store credit cards offered by GE Money Bank (like the Walmart card, and others like IIRC Lowes, Kohls, etc) offer a free monthly Fico score on their account management website.
One final note abotu Fico: Experian does not allow you to buy a Fico. It's totally lame. You can buy a fico via MyFico for TransUnion and Equifax, though. If you want to know your Experian score, there's a couple credit unions that offer it to their members, otherwise your best bet is to ask the loan officer next time you're getting a car or mortgage.
And be advised that there are MANY different fico scores: Fico has tweaked the formula several times, and they still sell various older versions of it, and they sell special "enhanced" versions -- so a mortgage lender can buy a "Mortgage Enhanced" fico that places more weight on your installment loan history, for example. All of this means that the score you can buy on MyFico has only a relation to the one a lender would see when they run your credit.