What is the safest way to check my credit score?

Asked by: Dr. Evalyn Bergnaum  |  Last update: February 26, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (39 votes)

How to Check Your Credit Scores
  1. Check With the Major Credit Bureaus. The major credit bureaus might offer you a free copy of your credit report and a free or paid credit score based on the report. ...
  2. Use a Free Credit Score Website. ...
  3. Check With Your Credit Card Issuer or Lender. ...
  4. Visit a Nonprofit Credit Counselor.

What is the most legit way to check your credit score?

There are a few websites out there that track your credit score, but for accuracy, I'd recommend sticking to the big three credit bureaus directly: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They provide free weekly reports now, which is a great resource.

Where is a safe place to check my credit score?

By law, you can get a free credit report each year from the three credit reporting agencies (CRAs). These agencies include Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What is the safest way to get your credit score?

How to get your credit score
  1. Check your credit or loan statements.
  2. Talk to a credit or housing counselor.
  3. Find a credit score service.
  4. Buy your score from one of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.

Who can I trust to check my credit score?

Use a credit score service or free credit scoring site.

You're entitled to a free copy of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also create a myEquifax account to get six free Equifax credit reports each year.

How To Check YOUR Credit Score for FREE (& what your free FICO Score or VantageScore means) 2025

19 related questions found

What is the most trusted site for credit scores?

Credit bureaus are used for different services, including credit reports, credit scores and tools like identity monitoring. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are all respected, credible bureaus that are used widely.

Is credit karma safe?

Yes. Credit Karma is absolutely trustworthy. The company has a strict privacy policy and will never sell your data to third-party vendors. In addition, it uses tools like two-factor authentication and 128-bit encryption to make sure that hackers can't access your information or steal your identity.

Is AnnualCreditReport.com a legitimate website?

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to get your free annual credit reports. This right is guaranteed by Federal law. You can verify this is the official site by visiting the CFPB's website. Don't be fooled by look-alike sites.

What brings credit score down the most?

5 Things That May Hurt Your Credit Scores
  • Highlights:
  • Making a late payment.
  • Having a high debt to credit utilization ratio.
  • Applying for a lot of credit at once.
  • Closing a credit card account.
  • Stopping your credit-related activities for an extended period.

Which of the 3 credit scores is most accurate?

With multiple options available, you may be wondering which of these sources is the most accurate. Simply put, there is no “more accurate” score when it comes down to receiving your score from the major credit bureaus.

Where can I find my real credit score?

There are a few main ways to get your credit scores.
  • Check your credit card or other loan statement. Many major credit card companies and other lenders provide credit scores for their customers. ...
  • Talk to a nonprofit counselor. ...
  • Use a credit score service.

What is considered a good credit score?

For a score with a range of 300 to 850, a credit score of 670 to 739 is considered good. Credit scores of 740 and above are very good while 800 and higher are excellent.

What is the best credit score place?

Which is the best credit report service to use?
  • Experian. Credit score range 0-999 (a score above 961 is considered high/excellent).
  • Equifax. Credit score range 0-1000 (a score above 811 is considered high/excellent).
  • TransUnion. Credit score range 0-710 (a score above 628 is considered high/excellent).

What US city has the worst credit rating?

South Burlington, Vt., is the city with the highest credit score, while Detroit is the city with the lowest, according to personal finance site WalletHub.

Is it safe to check your credit score online?

Is it bad to check your score? In general, it is not bad to check your own credit score and you can do so without harming it. Checking your credit score is an important part of monitoring your financial health. This is especially true if you're in the market for a new loan or other credit account.

How do you check your credit score properly?

To check your credit score with Aadhaar number, visit cibil's website, click on the credit score check tool, enter the required details, including your Aadhaar number and click on submit to get your cibil score report.

Why did my credit score drop 40 points after paying off debt?

It's possible that you could see your credit scores drop after fulfilling your payment obligations on a loan or credit card debt. Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors like your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.

How many credit cards should I have?

It's generally recommended that you have two to three credit card accounts at a time, in addition to other types of credit. Remember that your total available credit and your debt to credit ratio can impact your credit scores. If you have more than three credit cards, it may be hard to keep track of monthly payments.

What is #1 factor in improving your credit score?

1. Payment History: 35% Making debt payments on time every month benefits your credit scores more than any other single factor—and just one payment made 30 days late can do significant harm to your scores. An account sent to collections, a foreclosure or a bankruptcy can have even deeper, longer-lasting consequences.

Is Experian safe to use?

Suffice to say, Experian is as safe as one can reasonably expect an organisation to be, and they have countless safeguards in place to ensure your information is only accessed by those who have permission to do so.

What is the safest way to get your annual credit report?

Online: You can ask for your free annual credit report from https://www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Make sure you are on this site before ordering your report. This is the official site, authorized by the Federal government, for you to get your free reports.

What is the best website to check credit history?

What Is the Best Site to Get Your Free Credit Score? Generally, Credit Karma is the overall best site in terms of getting free credit scores and free credit reports. It provides free weekly scores and reports from Transunion and Equifax that are available without having to provide your credit card first.

Which credit score is most accurate?

FICO® and VantageScore® are the two most popular credit scoring models today. The credit scores they assign are equally reliable and accurate, based on the specific credit scoring model that's being used. Scores can and do fluctuate as new data is received.

Is nerdwallet safe to use?

Nerdwallet, Inc. is BBB Accredited.

This business has committed to upholding the BBB Standards for Trust.

Why is my FICO score 100 points lower than credit karma?

Your FICO Score is a credit score. But if your FICO score is different from another of your credit scores, it may be that the score you're viewing was calculated using one of the other scoring models that exist.