Check Your Credit Score Before Submitting New Applications

Before you applying for new credit or a job, or submitting a lease application for a new home or apartment, check your credit reports and score. You can obtain a free copy of your credit report every twelve months by writing to the credit bureaus – Transunion, Experian and Equifax.

How to Obtain your Credit Score

Your credit score, which is a number that tells a lender how likely you are to pay credit back on time and is based on your credit history, can be obtained in various ways.

  1. Purchase your score from the credit reporting companies, like FICO.
  2. Many credit cards companies have started to include an offer to obtain credit scores in monthly statements. Check with your credit card issuer to see if your score is available.
  3. A credit counselor may also be able to give you your score.
  4. There are a number of websites that offer free credit scores, but be sure to read the fine print before you sign up. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says:
    “Many services and websites advertise a “free credit score.” Some sites may be funded through advertising and not charge a fee. Other sites may require that you sign up for a credit monitoring service with a monthly subscription fee in order to get your “free” score. These services are often advertised as “free” trials, but if you don’t cancel within the specified period (often as short as one week), you could be on the hook for a monthly fee. Before you sign up to try one of these services, be sure you know what you are signing up for and how much it really costs.”

Get Legal Help

Flitter Milz is a consumer protection law firm that represents victims of credit reporting problems. Whether you are facing loan denials, lowered credit limits, increased interest rates, the consumer protection laws may provide protections. Contact Us today to discuss your credit report problems and find out how we can help.  There is no cost for the legal evaluation.