Credit score finder: Get your credit score

The average credit score in the US as of February 2021 is 698, according to Equifax. There are a few ways to access your credit score, including your credit card or loan statements, a nonprofit counselor or a credit score service — but not all are free.

What is a credit score?

Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 that represents your credit history, including your payments and defaults. Lenders use your credit score to assess how likely you are to repay a loan on time. The higher your credit score is, the better your odds of approval for financial products with low interest rates and flexible terms. It can also determine how much you’ll pay for car insurance and rent.

The “big three” credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — calculate your credit score. Each bureau uses different criteria for measuring your score, weighing your history against a proprietary algorithm.

What is a good credit score?

Generally, a credit score of 670 or higher is considered ‘good.’ Lenders use FICO Scores in 90% of credit decisions, which makes it a barometer of how potential lenders might see you when determining approval.

Scoring systems vary depending on where you’re getting your score from. However, they’re all similar in that the higher the credit score, the better your chances are of being approved for a loan.

Credit score ranges

Lenders and even the bureaus weigh the information in your credit history differently, but they’ve widely adopted two scores: FICO Score and VantageScore.

Both weigh the same factors when determining your credit score, including how long you’ve had credit, your payment history, your credit utilization rate and how many loan products or other types of credit you carry.

What are the ranges of different credit score models?

Each credit-scoring model has different criteria for measuring scores. Here’s a list of credit score ranges for the scoring models you may come across.

How to understand your score

Several factors impact your overall credit score. The three major credit bureaus — Equifax, TransUnion and Experian — all have their own models for calculating your score, which can create slightly different results from each.

Some aspects of your credit score aren’t completely within your control. For example, if you recently turned 18 or are new to the country, there is little you can do to add to the length of your credit history.

How your score is calculated

If you’re trying to maintain or improve your score, you should know what piece of the pie these five factors account for when calculating your score:

The 3 major credit bureaus

A credit bureau is an agency that collects information about your credit history into a report. The three main credit bureaus in the US are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. These credit bureaus do not make lending decisions if you apply for credit. They simply provide your credit history to the lender.

• Equifax. Founded in 1899, Equifax operates in 24 countries and monitors information on more than 800 million people and 88 million businesses worldwide. It also offers products such as credit monitoring, fraud prevention and identity theft protection.
• TransUnion. With reports on nearly 200 million consumers in the US alone, TransUnion monitors nearly every credit-active individual in the country. It also offers a range of credit and fraud-protection products to consumers and businesses.
• Experian. Over one billion individuals worldwide are monitored by Experian as well as 25 million businesses in the US. Some of its products include lost wallet assistance and family identity theft, which protects the Social Security numbers of children.

How to get your credit score

There are four main ways to access your credit score, and most are free.

• Credit card or loan statement. In 2014, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pushed for top credit card companies to show consumers their credit scores free of charge. While many lenders only allow customers to view their score, Discover and Capital One allow everyone — customer or not — to access their credit score.
• Non-profit counselor. Reputable non-profit credit counselors can access your credit score for free as well as offer advice on managing your debts, developing a budget and improving your overall score.
• Credit score service. A credit score service, like Credit Karma, offers free access to your credit score and makes recommendations for loan products based on your history and needs.
• Credit reporting companies. You can purchase your credit score directly from credit reporting companies like FICO. While occasionally they offer your score for free, they typically package access to your score into a monthly membership with other credit services, like identity theft protection and fraud monitoring.

Can I get my score from my credit report?

Usually not. Your credit report is a detailed record of your borrowing history, while your credit score is a numerical representation of your creditworthiness based on your credit report. Most credit reports from bureaus do not contain your credit score. Instead, on your credit report is a list of the applications you’ve made for different forms of credit — whether they’ve been approved or not. This includes:

• Your repayment history
• Details of any defaults you may have
• Information about the consumer
• Info on commercial accounts you hold

It also contains personal information, including your name and age, as well as data held on public records, such as bankruptcies.

Even though your credit report does not typically contain your credit score, it is important to regularly review your report for any errors. Order a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months or if you have been denied credit in the past 90 days. Your credit report is instantaneously downloaded if you access it online.

If it has been less than 12 months since your last free report and you need to review it, you can pay a fee to receive it sooner.

How to improve your credit score

Here are a few ways to increase your credit score:

• Check your credit report. Keep an eye out for mistakes that could negatively affect your credit.
• Stay on top of your bills. Build a history of on-time repayments by signing up for autopay.
• Pay off your debts. Focus on high-interest debts to lower your debt-to-income ratio.
• Keep your credit cards open. Avoid carrying a balance, but try to maintain a good credit utilization ratio.
• Consider a secured credit card. A secured credit card can help improve your credit score by limiting the amount you spend. Some secured credit cards will upgrade you to an unsecured card after a streak of responsible usage.

5 credit score pitfalls

Avoid these five common credit mistakes that could potentially impact and drag your score down:

1. Having a credit utilization ratio of 30% or more.
2. Missing or making late payments.
3. Closing old credit accounts that have reported healthy activity to the three credit bureaus.
4. Not taking the time to monitor each credit report for inaccuracies at least once a year.
5. Making too many credit inquiries at once.

Frequently asked questions

How does continually carrying a balance affect my credit score?

Regularly use your credit card to show you can responsibly manage a line of credit, but pay the balance in full at the end of each billing cycle to avoid extra interest charges.

How does getting married affect your credit score?

Some people think that once you get married, you have a joint score with your spouse — but this is a common credit myth. Marriage has no effect on your credit score.

What is an “adverse event”?

An adverse event refers to a default, bankruptcy, court judgment or writ or personal insolvency.