There are several sites where you can check your credit score. Most services want to lock you into a monthly subscription (i.e. a credit monitoring service), by offering a free trial.
We do not like the idea that you have to remember to cancel the free trial and as a result we recommend that, if you just want to check your credit score, you should get it from Equifax for a one time fee of $15.95.
When you’re looking at your credit score, the higher the number, the better your credit standing. It really does help to pay your debts on time!
Below is a generalized mapping between credit score ranges and a qualitative assessment of how good is each range. Every lender has their own criteria in evaluating consumers credit risk and even though your credit score is very important it is not the only piece of information that they use when making a decision. Most lenders look for a ‘Good Credit Score’ or better, but at the end of the day each company makes its own decision about what level of risk it is willing to accept.
- Above 720: Excellent Credit Score
- 660 – 719: Good Credit Score
- 620 – 659: Fair Credit Score
- Below 620: Bad Credit Score
- Invalid: You have no credit history / You are new to credit
