The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Submit an Article
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Coaching
  • Book Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Submit an Article
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
No Result
View All Result

Get Your FICO Credit Score Free and Help Your Credit Rating

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
in Credit Scores
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Credit scoring
13
SHARES
221
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Checking your FICO credit score at least once a year is a good way to stay on top of your credit rating.

That’s why you may be happy to learn that myFICO.com – the consumer website of Fair Isaac, creator of the FICO score – is offering you the opportunity to get your FICO score instantly online and free of charge.

So is there a “catch” for you to get a free FICO credit score?

Yes, there is.

The “catch” is that you only get the free FICO credit score when you agree to a 10-day trial offer for FICO’s Score Watch product, a credit monitoring service that keeps tabs on your FICO score and tracks important changes in your Equifax credit report.

myFICO

Now even though FICO’s free credit score is contingent upon the “trial offer,” I still think this freebie from FICO is a good promotion, and one you should take advantage of for several reasons.

First of all, FICO scores are used by 90% of the top banks in America. Therefore, if you’re planning to apply for car financing, a mortgage, student loan or a credit card in the next few months or so, you should know your FICO credit score ahead of time.

Secondly, even if you aren’t in the market for a loan or credit, knowing your FICO score is still vital. That’s because your credit standing impacts many areas your life, like your car insurance rates and your ability to get a job or secure a promotion.

Finally, this free credit score offer is easy to tap, even if you don’t want credit monitoring, simply by canceling the Score Watch service within 10 days. Either way, you still get to check your FICO credit score immediately and at no cost.

The Fine Print

Now let me tell you a little more about the fine print of this free credit score offer, some important details, and other options you should know.

To obtain your free credit score, you have to go the myFICO free trial page and create an account that has your personal information, like your name and address, as well as your credit card info.

For now, you’re just inputting your credit card data. Remember: you’re not immediately getting charged for anything. And again, FICO won’t make you pay anything as long as you cancel within the 10-day trial period.

Should you choose to cancel within the 10-day window, the cancellation process is quick and easy. Just call and terminate the service and it’s done.

MyFICO even sends you an email three days before the trial ends to remind you to either keep the credit monitoring or cancel it before your 10 days are up.

If you do decide keep Score Watch because you want ongoing credit monitoring, be aware that myFICO’s service requires a three-month minimum subscription. And the credit monitoring currently costs $14.95 per month.

In other words, if you go beyond that 10-day trial offer, you’re going to wind up being locked into the credit monitoring service for at least three months and that will cost you roughly $45.

So I repeat: If you only want the free FICO credit score, sign up for the trial offer and be sure to cancel within the 10-day period.

Those who keep their credit monitoring subscription not only get free FICO scores and instant access to their Equifax credit reports, they also get a second Equifax credit report at any time during the subscription; additional credit reports are offered at a 30% discount.

Other Options for Free Credit Monitoring

But what if you want ongoing credit monitoring and you don’t want to pay for it?

Actually, there are a couple of other companies that offer completely free credit monitoring – but they don’t let you monitor your Equifax report.

For example, Credit Sesame offers free credit monitoring where you can track changes to the data in your Experian credit report. Also, Credit Karma offers free credit monitoring to allow you to track the info in your TransUnion credit report. Neither company requires a trial offer; and neither makes you supply your credit card data.

As of this writing, in December 2012, I don’t know of any company offering you free credit monitoring of your Equifax credit report; until that happens the FICO offer seems to be the best deal on the market.

As I stated in my book, Perfect Credit, I’ve actually used myFICO’s credit monitoring service for years, and it’s definitely been instrumental in helping me stay on top of my credit.

Likewise, other credit monitoring services, including Credit Sesame and Credit Karma, have also been tremendously helpful to me in maintaining stellar credit.

That’s why I’ve written extensively about the benefits of credit monitoring.

The bottom line is: With credit playing such a huge role in our lives, I continue to advocate for credit monitoring because I see it as an important tool for improving one’s credit scores and learning how to manage credit wisely.

Tags: credit monitoringFICO credit scoreMyFICOtrial offer
Previous Post

Stolen Credit Cards Used to Buy 85 iPads Worth $50,000

Next Post

A Teenager’s View on Why Parents Should Give Their Kids Holiday Gifts

Related Posts

credit score drops

What to Do If Your Credit Score Suddenly Drops Unexpectedly

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Need a quick refresher about how your credit score works? Due to inflation, many consumers are being forced to rely on their credit cards to make ends meet. As a result, many consumers have seen their credit scores go down as their balances go up. Here are 3 articles that...

rent payments to boost credit score

How to Use Rent Payments to Boost Your Credit Score

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

This post originally appeared on Sisters from AARPBlack folks often face a host of credit challenges stemming from lower incomes, discrimination, a lack of knowledge about credit scoring and more. But one additional factor — the low rate of Black homeownership in America — has also meant diminished credit scores....

protect your credit score

How to Protect Your Credit Score After Job Loss 

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

A lack of income makes it hard to cover your expenses, which can cause your credit score to fall. But there are ways to preserve it, even if you are out of work. Here are four tips for maintaining your credit score if you have lost your job.

Best Way to Check Your Credit Score Using Apps

The Best Way to Check Your Credit Score Using These 4 Apps

by Guest Blogger

Did you know that on a $21,788 auto loan, if you have an excellent credit score (740 – 749), you can pay 311% less in interest compared to an individual with a fair credit score (580 – 669)? 311% less! Your credit score determines whether you qualify for things like...

DTI Explained

DTI or Debt-to-Income Ratio Explained w/Video

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

If you’re in the market for a loan, chances are that lenders are going to assess something called your “DTI” – also known as your Debt-to-Income ratio. What Exactly is a DTI? And, how can you improve it in order to get that loan that you want? How DTI is...

4 Summertime Risks to Your Credit Score

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Just because summertime is here and you might be taking it easy, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down when it comes to your finances. In fact, during the summer season, you should be aware of a number of potential threats that can hurt your credit rating. Some...

credit score drop

What to Do If Your Credit Score Drops Unexpectedly

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

  Having your credit score fall unexpectedly can be as bad as losing a significant amount of money. With a lower score, your opportunities for low-interest loans, lower insurance premiums, and more affordable mortgages may be out of your reach. What’s worse is that these fluctuations may come from out...

Load More

Popular Posts

  • Car repair

    What to Do If You Can’t Afford a Car Repair Bill

    1388 shares
    Share 555 Tweet 347
  • What to Do if Your Spouse Stole Money From You

    1177 shares
    Share 471 Tweet 294
  • What to Do If You Can’t Afford to Leave Your Spouse

    1114 shares
    Share 446 Tweet 279
  • Here’s Why I Pay My Kids For Good Grades (And Maybe You Should Too)

    1020 shares
    Share 408 Tweet 255
  • What Do All Those Strange Codes In My Credit Report Mean?

    821 shares
    Share 328 Tweet 205
  • Do This Now If Your Wages Were Not Reported

    754 shares
    Share 301 Tweet 188
  • How to Find Out if a Debt Collector is Licensed to Collect Your Debt

    734 shares
    Share 294 Tweet 184

All information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach, is not a certified financial planner, registered investment adviser, or attorney. If you need specialty financial, investment or legal advice, please consult the appropriate professional. Advertising Disclosure: This site may accept advertising, affiliate payments or other forms of compensation from companies mentioned in articles. This compensation may impact how and where products and companies appear on this site. AskTheMoneyCoach™ and Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach® are trademarks of TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC.

©2009-2023 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

RSS / Sitemap /Submit an Article / Privacy Policy / LynnetteKhalfaniCox.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Contact Lynnette
  • Get Coaching
  • Book Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • Home
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit an Article

©2009-2021 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist