Your credit score determines whether you qualify for credit and how much you'll pay for it. By law, you get a free copy of your credit report every year but you do not have the same legal rights to a free credit score. To top off the confusion, you have more than one credit score. Your FICO scores are used by most creditors when you apply for a loan or mortgage. They may also use credit bureau-specific credit scores from TransUnion, Experian or Equifax.
Buy Your Credit Score
Your credit scores are provided by each of the three credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. The MyFICO website also provides two FICO credit scores based on your Equifax or TransUnion report. The FICO scores are often used by mortgage lenders and other lenders. TransUnion and Experian provide their own scores--often termed FAKO--using their own proprietary formulas. If you visit any of these websites, you'll be given the opportunity to buy your score.
Credit Denial Letter
If you are wanting to know your credit score because you were denied credit, it possible that simply waiting for the rejection letter will pay off. Sometimes a rejection letter reveals your score. In fact, changes in the credit laws now mandate that creditors provide the credit score they used to deny you credit if they used a credit score as a reason to reject your application.
Free Credit Monitoring Services
If you sign up for a free credit monitoring service such as Credit Karma or Credit Sesame, these websites provide a FAKO credit score based on the information in your credit report. They do not provide your entire credit report but you can sign up for email alerts if something changes in your report, such as new inquiries or accounts.
Paid Credit Monitoring Services
If you sign up for a paid credit monitoring service from a credit reporting agency, you may have access to your credit score depending on the package you purchase. Some plans let you pull your credit score an unlimited amount of times; others let you pull it on a monthly basis. They also alert you to changes in your score and possible identity theft.
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