How to Obtain Your Credit Score Numbers

Every loan you take out, credit card you apply for, apartment you rent and many purchases you make depend on the strength of your credit, which is determined by your credit score. You don't receive a credit score in the mail every month, and you can't get it from your bank either. You can obtain your credit score for free once a year from the AnnualCreditReport website. You can also obtain your credit score by visiting a third-party credit report website or from one of the three major credit-reporting bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax.

Instructions

1

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com. Choose your state from the drop-down box and click "Request Report." Fill out all of the required information, such as your name, address, ZIP code, phone number and Social Security number. Once you submit your information, you can choose to view your score from any of the three major credit bureaus. Once you select one, the bureau's website will open and your score for that bureau will appear. Click "Return to AnnualCreditReport.com" to see your scores for the other two bureaus.

2

Sign up for a free trial through a third-party credit report website or through one of the three major credit bureau websites. If you have already accessed your free credit report in the past year, you'll have to sign up through a third-party website or through the three bureaus. Most third-party websites and the three bureaus offer free trials for their products, ranging from seven to 14 days. Depending on the website and the free trial product you sign up for, you'll receive your score from one, two or all three bureaus.

3

Cancel your free trial. Unless you wish to continually monitor your credit score every month, you'll have to cancel your free trial before it ends. Otherwise, the company will charge your credit card for the regular price of the product you selected for your free trial. You usually cannot cancel your free trial online; you must call the company to do so.