How Do You Check Your FICO Credit Score?

Fair Isaac Corporation develops FICO scores for the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Your FICO score can range from 300 to 850; the higher your score, the better risk you are considered. Fair Isaac estimates that a 100-point drop in your FICO score could cost you more than $25,000 in additional interest over the life of a 30-year home loan. Packages are available from Fair Isaac and other companies that allow you to check, as well as track and analyze, your FICO score. You have to pay to find out your FICO score.

Instructions

1

Go to a website that offers access to your FICO score. You can do this at www.myfico.com, which is run by Fair Isaac. You also can use the website of each of the three credit reporting bureaus--Transunion, Experian and Equifax--as well as other sites offering credit scores and related services.

2

Determine the type of service you want. For example, as of March 2010, you could get your FICO score and credit report from Experian for a one-time fee of $15. You also can buy extended services, including monitoring of your credit score. For instance, as of March 2010, you could purchase a monitoring service from MyFICO that provides you with your FICO score and TransUnion report four times a year for $4.95 each month. Weekly FICO score monitoring was $9.95 per month through MyFICO.

3

Enter your information when prompted at MyFICO or another source that provides FICO scores. You will be required to prove your identity. In addition to basic identifiers (e.g., name, address and Social Security number), you might be asked to provide a driver's license number and answer questions about items contained in your credit file.

4

View your score once you have paid, which is usually done using a credit or debit card. Some services provide analysis of your score along with tips for improving it. For example, MyFICO's FICO score simulator, included with the purchase of a FICO score, predicts changes to your score based on actions such as paying bills on time or paying down credit card balances.