Ease of acquisition and cost are two factors to consider when you seek out a source from which to obtain your three credit scores. Exercise caution with "free credit score" sites; according to a November 2009 report in The New York Times, although such sites as FreeCreditReport.com may supply your credit scores, you'll get a bill at the end of the month for a credit monitoring service that you probably don't want or even need. If you want to get your credit scores from all three reporting agencies without gimmicks or additional strings attached, you must pay a small one-time fee for each score. As of December 2009, Experian and Equifax charged $7.95 and TransUnion $5.95.
Step 1
Order your credit scores online from the official website authorized by Congress to provide your free annual credit report: AnnualCreditReport.com. The Federal Citizen Information Center lists this site first on its shortlist of sources from which to obtain credit scores. As all three scores can be obtained through the site, this is the most efficient method of obtaining them. You can also call (877) 322-8228 to order your credit scores from AnnualCreditReport.com if you do not wish to complete the request online.
Step 2
Contact the three reporting agencies directly to obtain your credit scores. Visit the respective websites of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, or call each agency and order your score using a credit or debit card. You will be asked to supply identifying information when you order your credit scores. The contact information for the three consumer reporting agencies is as follows:
Equifax
equifax.com
(800) 685-1111
Experian
experian.com
(888) 397-3742
TransUnion
transunion.com
(800) 888-4213
Step 3
Obtain your Equifax and TransUnion credit scores through MyFico.com, the website administered by Fair Isaac Corporation, for $15.95 each, and then obtain your Experian score from Experian directly (MyFico.com terminated its agreement with Experian in February 2009). MyFico.com provides a few extra bells and whistles when you order these more expensive credit scores, such as a complimentary credit report and an explanation of how your credit score was derived.
Step 4
Make sure you really need the extra credit-monitoring services attached to "free credit score" sites, such as FreeCreditReport.com, should you choose to use them. According to The New York Times, real-time credit monitoring may be helpful for those who have had problems with identify theft. However, most consumers don't notice drastic changes in their credit histories over short periods of time, making these services a needless expenditure.
Member Comments