How to check your credit Boston

While the credit reports are free once a year, if you want your credit score, which is used by creditors to score your credit worthiness, you'll have to pay for it. Some of the credit bureaus have their own version of the score, but the one you want is called the FICO score, most widely used among creditors. It used to be that one bureau, Equifax, would offer you the FICO score for about $8 after you get your free credit report.

But I confirmed with the company that the score you pay for going through how to check your credit Boston the free Web site will be Equifax's own how to check your credit Boston model score, not the FICO score. If you want the FICO score, you'll have to pay $15.95 for another credit how to check your credit Boston report and the score.

(The other two bureaus for a while have offered their own models, not FICO.) So the easiest thing to do might be to go through FICO's own Web site, http://www.myfico.com, where how to check your credit Boston you will have the option of buying the credit how to check your credit Boston report and FICO score from either TransUnion or Equifax or both. how to get your free credit report (Choose the option on the bottom of the page that gives you a one-time report and how to check your credit Boston score.) Each costs $15.95. Or for $1 less, TransUnion's site at http://www.transunioncs.com offers how to check your credit Boston the report and score for $14.95. Equifax's site at http://www.equifax.com offers it for $15.95. You really need your score only if you are curious about the number or if you are getting ready to apply for new credit. Otherwise, just checking your reports should be fine. The scores are derived from how to check your credit Boston the information in your reports, so that's why it's important the information how to check your credit Boston is accurate. credit report and score for free Be aware of a few things: You will have to provide your Social Security number to how to check your credit Boston get your credit reports. While it is my advice not to provide your Social Security number to sites you are not familiar with, the Web site and phone number above are legitimate, and that's the way they identify the how to check your credit Boston credit report to access. If you're having the credit report mailed to you, you should request to have only the last four digits of your Social Security number displayed on the report for security purposes. Other sites, including the credit bureaus themselves, might say they are giving a ''free'' report, but most likely you will be signing up for a paid service by taking that free report. It can be difficult to burrow through their Web sites to find just the report and score, so going to the FICO site will be easier. credit report theft