This is my third of a few posts I’ll be doing that highlights some tools I use for “travel hacking.” The first is here. The second is here.
If you’ve ever wondered what you’re credit score is, but you don’t want to have to pay for it, well look no further, go to CreditKarma.com and get your FREE credit score from two of the three credit profile companies out there.
If you don’t know, your credit score is important – unless you live don’t spend money. Your credit score is a three digit number calculated from your data-rich credit report and is one factor used by lenders to determine your creditworthiness for a mortgage, loan or credit card. Your score can affect whether or not you are approved as well as what interest rate you are charged. Lame enough, your credit can even determine if you get a job or not.
Credit Karma is a great tool out there that lets you get a snapshot of your credit report. Not as detailed as your full one that you’d get every year, but enough to let you know if you have a problem. One nice thing about Credit Karma is that it lets you compare your report between both TransUnion and Equifax. Before it use to just be TransUnion. Since these are two of the three companies that track your credit, it is great to have something to compare them. If you see discrepancies, then take the time to get them to match (though don’t go crazy with this).
I’ve been using Credit Karma for a few years now and it is a great way to see how credit cards effect your credit score. They have little built in tools to see how signing up for a credit card would help or hurt your current score. Don’t take this as a reason not to sign up, just take it as a recommendation.
There are other tools out there like CreditSesame.com which handles the other, but I find it doesn’t work as smoothly as Credit Karma. Some credit cards will also let you see your FICO score for free also, and that’s awesome. Whatever you use, be sure to use something to keep track of your credit. The worst thing is applying to get a loan eventually and being unsure of why it is you didn’t get that loan or perhaps that job…ouch.
Please let me know what your thoughts of are of either Credit Karma or other tools that are out there. Hopefully your info will help the next person!
Credit Karma is awesome. Mint.com also has a credit scoring service.
♡ credit karma!
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I love it, I’ve been using it for two or three years now. 🙂
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You should actually just use “AnnualCreditReport.com.” It’s the one that was set up by government mandate, so you can get your free yearly credit reports from all three bureaus… everyone else is trying to sell you something.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Yes, is great to get your report once a year, but doesn’t give you your score unless you pay for it. Credit Karma gives you a snap shot that’s fairly accurate. They may try to sell your stuff, but that’s additional to the free service which is pretty sweet.
And you don’t have to give them a credit card number!
My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that it is a soft pull, nit a hard pull. Using credit karma you can check as often as you like with out it effecting your credit. It just shows your score. It does not show your history the way ordering a full report does.
Though I have been told it’s important to review that often too. And if instead of requesting it from all three at once, you can space it out over a few months and get three free reports over a year instead of just one. (Hopefully that makes sense)
Truth
Any time you check YOUR OWN credit report/score, it is a soft pull and won’t affect your credit… if you see something you pulled on your own being listed as a hard pull, then you should let the bureaus know to take it off of your history.
Hard pulls are only when you have given permission for a company to pull your credit information, like when you’re trying to apply for a credit card, loan, or mortgage.
I have an easier way Jason I just ask my wife if I can buy something and she says no.. No credit check needed
Geez you guys are getting old if that is what your Facebook pages have turned into
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