Know Your FICO Scores and Credit Reports | myFICO (2024)

FAQs

How do I get my credit report and FICO score? ›

The first place you should check for your free FICO Score is with your credit card issuer. Many card issuers provide their cardholders with free access to their credit score. While there's a good chance you'll have access to your credit score, the key is whether it's your FICO Score or VantageScore.

You can check your FICO Score for free by accessing your credit report from one of the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) once per year. Some credit card issuers and financial institutions also offer their customers free access to FICO Scores.

Check your credit card, financial institution or loan statement. Many credit card companies, banks and loan companies have started providing credit scores for their customers. It may be on your statement, or you can access it online by logging into your account.

Though Credit Karma does not currently offer FICO® scores, the scores you see on Credit Karma (VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax) provide valuable insight into your financial health.

A good credit score is generally 690 to 719 on the 300-850 scale commonly used for FICO scores and VantageScores. Amanda Barroso is a personal finance writer who joined NerdWallet in 2021, covering credit scoring. She has also written data studies and contributed to NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast.

FICO, Experian, and Equifax all provide information on individuals' credit habits for the use of lenders. FICO provides just a numerical credit score, based on an individual's payment habits and the amount of debt that they carry. Credit bureaus like Experian and Equifax offer detailed credit histories on individuals.

A credit score is a three-digit number that measures your financial health and how well you manage credit and debt. FICO scores are a specific type of score that lenders can use when making borrowing decisions. The FICO credit scoring system is the most widely used credit score.

Checking your credit score will not have an affect on it. Requesting a copy of your credit report or checking your credit score is known as a “soft inquiry.” Soft inquiries are not visible to potential lenders when they view your credit report; however, they may remain visible to you on your report for 12 to 24 months.

The minimum credit score needed for most mortgages is typically around 620. However, government-backed mortgages like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans typically have lower credit requirements than conventional fixed-rate loans and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs).

Which credit score is most accurate? ›

Simply put, there is no “more accurate” score when it comes down to receiving your score from the major credit bureaus.

One of the best ways to access your FICO® credit score for free is through Discover Credit Scorecard. This program is free whether you are a Discover customer or not. To get started, you'll be asked for some personal information, including your Social Security number.

The FICO credit-scoring model has been updated over the years, resulting in multiple versions of the score. FICO Score 8 is the most commonly used. But the version may vary by lender and credit product, like applying for a credit card versus financing a car.

Is "credit score" the same as "FICO^® score"? Basically, "credit score" and "FICO^® score" are all referring to the same thing. A FICO^® score is a type of credit scoring model. While different reporting agencies may weigh factors slightly differently, they are all essentially measuring the same thing.

In the U.S., there are three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) that house credit histories on most of us. Each of these agencies uses the FICO^® Score algorithm to produce a version of the FICO^® Score based on the data they collect on each consumer.

To get an idea of what your credit profile looks like, you can check your FICO^® Score powered by Experian data for free. Here's how: Get started. Visit Experian's website and click on "Check your FICO^® Score for free." You'll then provide the last four digits of your Social Security number and your phone number.

Since the information on your credit reports at each bureau can differ, your Equifax credit score and FICO score can differ depending on which credit report is used to calculate the score. The Equifax credit score model uses a numerical range between 280 and 850, and FICO score models use a range between 300 and 850.