Access Your Credit Report Online: a Guide

Knowing how to get your credit reports and credit scores can be very confusing. There are just so many different options out there. First and foremost, there are a few key things to remember:

• You can get the free, annual credit reports you are entitled to by federal law at either annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
• If you’ve exhausted your free credit reports, you can get reports directly from the credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – for a small fee. Each of their website can be found by adding “.com” to the end of their company name.
• Overwhelmingly, the most common credit scores used by lenders are the FICO scores developed by a business called Fair, Isaac and Company. You can access your FICO score for a fee at myfico.com. Keep in mind that financial institutions often use separate FICO scores for each of the three credit bureaus in their lending decisions.

So what are these other credit scores you read about at the credit bureau websites? The credit bureaus have developed their own proprietary scoring models in an attempt to compete with FICO. You have the option of purchasing these at their respective websites.

• Equifax – A VantageScore and an Equifax Credit Score from each of the three bureaus is available for purchase.
• Experian – A VantageScore from each of the three bureaus is available for purchase.
• TransUnion – A VantageScore from each of the three bureaus available for purchase.

One key thing to keep in mind in regard to scores: the Equifax Credit Score and VantageScore models are used by financial institutions much less frequently to make lending decisions than the FICO score.