How to Check Your Credit Score for Free

You can check your credit score for free in the United States through a credit bureau, a free credit score website, your credit card issuer or lender, or a nonprofit credit counselor. It takes only a few minutes online, and checking your own credit never lowers your scores. Your credit reports, which the scores are based on, are free every week from AnnualCreditReport.com.

• Your name, current address, Social Security number and date of birth.
• Your previous address if you have moved in the last two years.
• Answers to a few identity-verification questions, such as the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.
• An account with whichever service you choose. Some are free, some are paid.
• No credit card is required for some free score services.

1. Decide what you want first. A credit report is a detailed record of your credit history from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion. A credit score is a three-digit number, often 300 to 850, based on one of those reports. Most credit reports do not include your score, so you may need two separate requests.
2. For your free reports, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. It is the only website authorised by the federal government to issue the free annual reports from all three nationwide bureaus, and it is the central source created by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
3. Fill out the form once to request your reports from one, two or all three of the bureaus. You can also call 1-877-322-8228, or mail the Annual Credit Report Request Form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
4. Answer the identity questions for each bureau, even if you request all three at the same time. Each bureau may hold information from different sources, so each set of questions can differ.
5. For a free score, try a credit bureau. Experian, for example, offers its credit report and a FICO Score 8 for free anytime with an account, plus score tracking and alerts. Equifax offers its report and a VantageScore 3.0 score free through Equifax Core Credit, updated once a month. TransUnion does not offer free reports or scores directly; its credit monitoring service costs $29.95 per month.
6. Or use a free credit score website. These sites give you a score in exchange for creating an account. The type of score and the report behind it vary from site to site, and some offer paid subscriptions with extra features or show loan and credit card offers.
7. Or check with your credit card issuer or lender. Many give current cardholders and borrowers a free FICO or VantageScore score. Log in to your online account or open the issuer's mobile app. The score often updates with your monthly statement, and it may be the same one the company uses to assess applicants.
8. Or book a free consultation with a nonprofit credit counselor. A counselor can help you check your score and explain how to improve it, along with budgeting, housing, bankruptcy and debt questions.
9. Read your score in context. Most scores run from 300 to 850. As one benchmark, a good FICO Score is 670 to 739, while a good VantageScore is 661 to 780. Creditors can set their own ranges.
10. Repeat regularly. Check your reports at least once a year, and before you apply for credit, a loan, insurance, housing or a job.

• Your free weekly reports come from AnnualCreditReport.com, where all three bureaus have permanently extended weekly access. Federal law also requires each bureau to give you a free report once every 12 months if you ask.
• AnnualCreditReport.com does not offer credit scores, so use it for reports and get your score elsewhere.
• Checking your reports through AnnualCreditReport.com will not affect your credit scores, and checking your own credit generally does not lower them.
• You may qualify for another free report if you get an adverse action notice, such as a denial of credit, employment, insurance or housing based on your report. Ask within 60 days of the notice. You also qualify if you are unemployed and plan to apply for a job within 60 days, you are on public assistance, your report is inaccurate because of fraud including identity theft, or you have a fraud alert on your file.
• Watch out for other sites offering free credit reports. Only AnnualCreditReport.com is authorised to fill orders for the free annual reports you are entitled to by law.
• If a bureau denies your request for a report, contact that bureau first. If you cannot resolve it, contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
• Mistakes on your report can be a sign of identity theft. If you think someone is misusing your personal information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a personalised recovery plan.
• Details such as which scores are free, how often they update and what paid monitoring costs can change. Check the official site for the current position.

Does checking my credit score hurt it? No. Checking your own credit will not lower your credit scores, and viewing your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com will not affect them either.

How often can I get my free credit reports? You can get reports from each of the three nationwide bureaus once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and federal law also entitles you to one free report from each bureau every 12 months.

Why is my credit score missing from my credit report? In most cases your credit report will not include your credit score. The report is a history of your credit, while the score is a separate number calculated from it, so you need to request the score from another source.

What is the difference between a credit report and a credit score? A credit report is a detailed record of your credit management, created by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. A credit score is a three-digit number, often 300 to 850, created by FICO or VantageScore to estimate how likely you are to repay what you borrow.

Can I get my score from a credit counselor? Yes. Nonprofit credit counselors offer free consultations and can help you check your credit score and understand how to improve it.