What's My Credit Score?

Now that credit card companies are tightening their belts, so to speak, it's getting a lot harder to get credit. (Just when we consumers need it the most!) It's also getting more difficult to keep credit, and to keep it at interest rates that aren't punishingly high. In order to get the best interest rates, you need to have a high credit score. We're all entitled, by federal law, to a free credit report every year. The information found in those reports is invaluable when it comes to preventing identity theft- but does it help to answer the question, "What's My Credit Score?" Nope. Those credit reports help you to understand why your credit score is where it is, but that's it.

Your best bet, if you want to get your "What's My Credit Score" answer, is to go to each of the credit reporting bureaus, and check out their offers. At any given time, one or all of them will be offering a package deal that provides all three credit reports and a composite score for free**.
(The asterisks denote the fact that it's not really free, but you have fine print to read down below. In this case, you will have to sign up for a free trial of their credit reporting service, and if you don't cancel during the free trial period, you're on the hook for much more money than it would have cost if you had just bought the credit report straight out. Watch out for this!)

A good credit score is an important part of your overall financial health. If your interest rates go up, due to a lowering credit score, it can adversely affect your monthly budget. If you know your score is low, you can work on improving it- but first you must ask, and answer, the question: "What's My Credit Score?"

What's My Credit Score?