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The Importance Of Checking FICO Scores

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Why should I check my credit score?
Knowing your score can give you a general idea of what kinds of financial products and loans you can access. Additionally, if you check your score and it isn't what you expected, this may be indicative of fraud or identity theft. Checking your score regularly can help you catch things early and clean up any problems.

In laymen's terms, what is my FICO score?
It is a number created and published by the Fair Isaac Corporation. The standard range is from 300 to 800. The average U.S. consumer has a score of 637. Higher is better. Ideally, you want to be at 700 or higher. A higher score lets you borrow more money and qualify for lower interest rates.

Where can I get free FICO scores?
A number of banks and …show more content…

These usually do not offer access to your actual FICO score. They offer an estimate of your credit score. It may be off by a few points. These are primarily considered to be educational tools.

For example, Credit Karma gets you access to a score based on information from TransUnion and Equifax but not Experian. Credit.com gets bases their score on information from Experian. Mint.com uses information from Equifax, and Credit Sesame uses information from TransUnion.

How can I improve my score?
You should be paying all your bills on time consistently. Even if you have plenty of money, late payments reflect badly on your credit history. If you have too much debt for your income, you need to work at paying it down. If you are living beyond your means, you need to change that fact. Although financial products may help, this is mostly about earning more and spending less.

Why do there seem to be so many new ways to check my score?
This is due to a relatively recent policy change. FICO has a new program called FICO Score Open Access.

If you have any long term goals, such as home ownership or college for your child, you should go ahead and get free FICO scores today. Knowing where you currently stand is an essential first step in figuring out how to get there from

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