Which company to pull credit score from?

[xSkyDrAx]

As underestand there are 3 credit reporting companies that gives out a FICO score. It looks like the scores that they give out pertain to their own scales so there is a variation to the numbers that they give out.

My question is if there is a 'better' or most popular company out of the 3 (transunion, experian, equifax) to get a report from or is it just better to get all 3?

What did you use?

 

[RavenSEAL]

Just get all 3.

 

[nickbits]

Unless you know what company will be providing the score for the loan you are applying for, you need all 3 to be sure. If you are just curious, I would pick one--Doesn't matter which.

Use myfico.com

 

[HendrixFan]

You get to check all three for free once every year. Any one of the three may have incorrect information, and you never know for sure which one a lender will pull. Check all three so you can make sure any incorrect items are removed before applying for credit.

 

[FoBoT]

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report.

How can I get my credit score?

You will be given an opportunity to purchase a credit score from any of the nationwide credit reporting agencies after you receive your free annual credit report from any of them in response to a request made through this website.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

You get to check all three for free once every year. Any one of the three may have incorrect information, and you never know for sure which one a lender will pull. Check all three so you can make sure any incorrect items are removed before applying for credit.

thats your report, and usually does not include the score unless you pay for it.

the score is just a derivative of the report though, so as long as the report is accurate, thats about as much as you can do

 

[Schfifty Five]

You get to check all three for free once every year. Any one of the three may have incorrect information, and you never know for sure which one a lender will pull. Check all three so you can make sure any incorrect items are removed before applying for credit.

He wants his score, not just the report.

 

[ElFenix]

there are 3 credit reporting agencies, and you want to get your report from all three. however, only FICO (previously Fair Isaac Corporation) calculates the real FICO score, so you have to get that from them (myfico.com) or someone who is licensed by them to sell it (the 3 major bureaus, generally). every other score is an estimate of the FICO score based on backward engineering.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Looking at the myfico site:

http://www.myfico.com/Products/FICOOne/Description.aspx

That shows only options to purchase 2 of the 3 scores. Do I have to go through Experian to get their score as well?

Also can the scores be purchased directly from each company and is there a difference to this?

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Also looking at the sites some of them offer your 3 scores for FREE* if you sign up for their monitoring service which you can cancel after a period of time.

Is this the best route to take to obtain the scores?

 

[SunnyD]

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https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

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Also looking at the sites some of them offer your 3 scores for FREE* if you sign up for their monitoring service which you can cancel after a period of time.

Is this the best route to take to obtain the scores?

Dude, seriously? I'm not sure why you even posted this. Just get your FEDERALLY MANDATED free credit reports from the big 3, no questions asked.

 

[FallenHero]

Pay for scores through all 3 through myfico.com

pick middle score.

 

[paperfist]

Also looking at the sites some of them offer your 3 scores for FREE* if you sign up for their monitoring service which you can cancel after a period of time.

Is this the best route to take to obtain the scores?

As mentioned all 3 have to give you your scores for free.

The monitoring services are nice if you are trying to build and monitor your score and offer identity theft protection, but that is also typically built into your credit cards protection.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Scores are free annually?

I thought only the report was free annually, and any scores require you to pay or sign up for something.

 

[SlitheryDee]

My transunion and equifax scores from myfico.com were within one point of each other. I'd say get your free credit reports from all three and examine their content for discrepancies. If they are the same the chances are the scores they would give you are the same, so just pick one and pay for the score. If one is different, pay for the one that is different and one of the ones that are the same, If they are all different, get all three. Also, you probably want to contact them to fix the discrepancies.

 

[HendrixFan]

He wants his score, not just the report.

True. Go to creditkarma.com and use their free scoring along with the free reports. The score should be within a similar range of the real scores. Credit Karma uses Transunion as the basis for their score.

 

[foghorn67]

As mentioned all 3 have to give you your scores for free.

The monitoring services are nice if you are trying to build and monitor your score and offer identity theft protection, but that is also typically built into your credit cards protection.

Reports are not scores.

 

[Dulanic]

True. Go to creditkarma.com and use their free scoring along with the free reports. The score should be within a similar range of the real scores. Credit Karma uses Transunion as the basis for their score.

This. Credit karma is useful for overall credit score trending.

 

[esquared]

Looking at the myfico site:

http://www.myfico.com/Products/FICOOne/Description.aspx

That shows only options to purchase 2 of the 3 scores. Do I have to go through Experian to get their score as well?

Also can the scores be purchased directly from each company and is there a difference to this?

Yes, FICO has had only had transunion and equifax for awhile. You need to go to Experian for their score but it not a FICO

Yes, you can go to each company and get a "score" but it too is not a FICO score. It's their own.

And when you pay for your FICO, you also get your credit reports too.

There are coupons out there for 20% off IIRC.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Yes, FICO has had only had transunion and equifax for awhile. You need to go to Experian for their score but it not a FICO

Yes, you can go to each company and get a "score" but it too is not a FICO score. It's their own.

And when you pay for your FICO, you also get your credit reports too.

There are coupons out there for 20% off IIRC.

If this is the case how does one get a fico score from experian

 

[sportage]

Also looking at the sites some of them offer your 3 scores for FREE* if you sign up for their monitoring service which you can cancel after a period of time.

Is this the best route to take to obtain the scores?

BE WARNED on monitoring services.
#1. They all operate out of non-USA off shore locations.
#2. Thus how do know how secure they are?

When I was buying a house and signed up for the 3 monitoring services thru the actual CR company, not a 3rd party site, within a month I started seeing bogus negative entries on my report(s) """not""" of my own making. Someone had hacked and was using my personal info to get credit, and make purchases. I am now totally convinced I had made myself open to identity theft by signing up with these monitoring agencies.
Just how much control any US based company has over off shore employees is my question here...?
Lesson learned!!! I would NEVER sign up for any credit monitoring agency. Not while they are operated off shore AND thus have "FULL ACCESS" to ALL your highly vulnerable personal identity information.

 

[kranky]

As mentioned all 3 have to give you your scores for free.

NO NO NO scores are NOT free. Reports are, once a year per credit reporting agency.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I just got mine recently through my bank, think they pulled it from Equifax. It's a service that's like 30 bucks a month, but the first month is free. Now that I know the score, I'll just cancel. I'm actually quite high up there, not quite at the max, but very close. No wonder they keep lowering my rates when I ask to raise my limits lol.

 

[boomhower]

The only score you can buy that is real is Equifax, and get it from myfico. You can't get Experian at all except as a perk from some credit unions. The Transunion score at myfico is essentially worthless. While it is a true FICO it's not the one most lenders that use Transunion use. The one they sell is the outdated TU98 formula where most use TU04 and some have moved to TU08. Get your Equifax score and call it a day. The others will be in the ballpark if the data on the reports are the same.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Hm very interesting stuff. Thanks for all your input!