Federal law requires annual access to your credit report, which you can obtain at annualcreditreport.com, the official site set up to help people gain these reports. The law does not require access to your credit score, however. Your credit score is calculated with a mathematical model that evaluates the information in your credit file. It's used by lenders to help determine whether you qualify for credit cards, loans or services. In general, the higher your score, the less risk you represent to a lender. You may request your score when you obtain your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com. You also can purchase a credit score by contacting one of the national consumer credit reporting companies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Use Annual Credit Report
Step 1
Visit annualcreditreport.com. Choose your state in the drop-down window and click on "Request Report."
Step 2
Follow the instructions for filling out your information. Click on the option that allows you to purchase your credit score and fill out the payment information.
Step 3
Request your report and credit score over the phone via the Annual Credit Report service. Call (877) 322-8228. You will be led through a verification process over the phone.
Experian
Step 1
Visit Experian.com. Click on "View all products" under "Additional services and products." Choose "Order Now!" under Vantage Score. Input your information, including your credit card number. The cost was $7.95 as of early 2010. Alternately, call (888) 397-3742 to order this by phone.
Step 2
Click on the link titled "Get yours today" under Experian credit score and report. Fill out the information. The cost in early 2010 was $15. This gives you get the report and score from Experian only. The price is roughly triple that to get scores and reports from all three credit reporting agencies via Experian.
Step 3
Click on the link titled, "Get your free credit report and score" on the Experian website. This link allows you to gain your credit score for free, but there's a catch. You will be directed to fill out name and address information, then establish an account with ProtectMyID.com. You are required to fill in credit card information as well as social security number information. The service gives access to your credit score and report online free for a 30-day trial. You must cancel your membership within 14 days of enrollment or ProtectMyID.com will bill you $12.95 for each month you continue membership.
Equifax
Step 1
Sign up for the credit monitoring service at Equifax.com. Click on "Get started" under "Track my score." Create a username and password and input your personal and credit card information on the Equifax website. The agency gives you four credit scores a year and advice on improving your score, but charges a monthly fee.
Step 2
Call Equifax to obtain your credit score. As of 2010, the fee to gain your score in this manner was $7.95 from Equifax Information Services. Call (877) SCORE-11 to order your credit report over the phone.
Step 3
Write to Equifax to request your credit score. You must include the fee, which was $7.95 in early 2010. Use the address:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 105252
Atlanta, GA 30348
TransUnion
Step 1
Contact TransUnion by mail to request your credit score, and include the fee for this, which was $7.95 in early 2010. Mail goes to:
TransUnion
2 Baldwin Place
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
Step 2
Call TransUnion to order your credit score. Dial (800) 888-4213.
Step 3
Visit TransUnion.com and click on the "See your credit report now" button to sign up for TransUnion's credit monitoring service called TrueCredit. Fill out the user agreement and credit card information. You will have to pay a monthly fee for the service.
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