How Can I Find My Credit Score?
There are several ways I can find my credit score. It is easy and free, I will explain how now. This is the first step needed to clean bad credit.
If you have recently or are currently seeking credit as in a mortgage or car loan you can ask them for your score after you have given them permission to pull your credit. I always request this; after all it’s a free way to find my credit score!
If you already know, or can obtain your score, you can get your credit report from the credit bureaus. They are required to send a copy of our credit report each year for free. There are three ways to do this.
1. Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com and request it here.
2. Call (877) 322-8228.
3. Go to www.ftc.gov/edu/resources/forms/requestformfinal.pdf and fill out this form then send it to: Annul Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348.
If you already have your credit score this is sufficient as your score is not included with these reports. If you do not have your score already you will want to look at other ways to find your credit score and report.
The bureaus along with many other web sites offer credit scores and reports for free on a trial basis. They also offer other useful services like notices anytime a negative entry is added or an inquiry has been made to your report. These can be an excellent resource to find your credit score. And if you do not want to pay for the services you can cancel during the trial period keeping your current report and score. I use one of these services and it is nice to know right away when something is posted. They will send me an alert via e-mail.
This should have answered your question, “How do I find my credit score?”
Now that you have your credit report, here are 5 areas which can improve your scores.
1. Payment history is the most critical. Make payments on time.
2. Amounts owed are the second critical. Improve your debt-to-credit-limit ratios by paying down balances.
3. If your credit history is less than 3 years it will improve with time, manage your credit wisely.
4. A balance of credit cards and installment accounts will help.
5. Multiple credit inquiries in a short time can hurt your credit score. Checking your own score will not.
Once you find your credit score and report you can improve credit by making payments on time, reducing balances and balancing the types of credit used.
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