How do you check your credit score? Well, a good place to start is with your TotallyMoney Free Credit Report and Score.
Then again, we would say that. But, we also want you to be armed with the most accurate picture of how healthy your credit score is. This guide lets you know what sort of things you should be thinking about when you check your credit score.
Why you should check your credit score AND your credit report
Your credit score gives you an idea of how well you’re managing your finances and how healthy your credit file is. But, it is just a number. It doesn’t really give you much information about how well you’re handling credit, other than categorising your score: Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good, and Excellent.
Your credit report, though, gives you detailed information about your credit accounts. Usually, you can see what credit accounts you’ve opened and closed, the balance on your accounts, and whether you’ve paid on time.
Knowing this information makes it easier for you to know what you’re doing well and what you could be doing better.
Check your credit score with all three credit reference agencies
There’s no such thing as a universal credit score. Your credit score will be different with all three credit reference agencies: Callcredit, Equifax, and Experian.
Credit reference agencies collect data about your credit usage and credit behaviour from lenders and credit issuers. They then use this information to calculate your credit score and create your credit report. But, not all lenders and credit issuers report to all three credit reference agencies. For this reason, they each might have different information about you.
They also use their own methods to calculate your credit score and organise them into categories in different ways. For the most accurate picture, it’s important to check your credit score with all three credit reference agencies.
Keep in mind that some companies need card details for you to check your credit score. This could be to verify your identity, sign you up on a free-trial basis then charge you a monthly subscription fee, or both. If you sign up for any trials, remember to cancel your subscription if you don’t want to be charged.
How to check your credit score with Transunion
Your Free Credit Report from TotallyMoney is the best way to check your credit score with Transunion.
Transunion is the credit reference agency that provides the data we use to create your Free Credit Report and Credit Score.
It only takes a few minutes, we don’t need any card details whatsoever, and signing up won’t harm your credit rating. You can even learn how to improve your credit score.
How to check your credit score with Equifax
You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to check your credit score and report with Equifax. If you want to check your credit score and report once the 30 days are over, you’ll have to pay.
How to check your credit score with Experian
You can check your credit score with Experian for free. But, if you want to access your credit report, you’ll have to pay a fee. They also offer a 30-day trial, so remember to cancel if you don’t want to pay.
