What's your credit score?

[buzz]

FICO scores are a proprietary product of Fair Isaac Co., and the only way to obtain one is through them. Go to myfico.com for details. You will have to go through the hassle of opening an account. Sorry.

Why would you want to make your private financial details available to anyone else?

[disneysteve]

FICO scores are a proprietary product of Fair Isaac Co., and the only way to obtain one is through them. Go to myfico.com for details. You will have to go through the hassle of opening an account. Sorry.

Why would you want to make your private financial details available to anyone else?

I know a lot of people get their score by signing up for some credit monitoring service that is free for the first month. They get their score and then cancel the service before the free trial period ends so it doesn't cost them anything. Personally, I think that's too much trouble. I'd rather spend the few bucks and get the score straight from myfico.com.

[jodi]

The FICO estimator put my score at 715-765, but last time I checked it was in the 770s. Since we're not applying for any credit in the forseeable future (hopefully 3+ years before we need a new car), it's not worth the hassle for me to check to get an exact number. I know I haven't missed any payments since then, but it may have gone down since I opened a cc with Lowe's last summer for a remodel.

[docstudent]

My FICO score is a 742, anything above 700, will get you a good rate. There is not a major distinction between a 720 and 800, from what I have been told by financial experts. Do not miss any payments, and keep a healthy balance between available and used credit. I have access to about $40,000 in available credit and I have a balance of $3,000.

[safari]

My FICO score is a 742, anything above 700, will get you a good rate. There is not a major distinction between a 720 and 800, from what I have been told by financial experts. Do not miss any payments, and keep a healthy balance between available and used credit. I have access to about $40,000 in available credit and I have a balance of $3,000.

It depends on the type of the loan that you're applying for. For example, you can usually get the best rate on a 30 year fixed mortgage, if your FICO score is above 760. For a HELOC, your score needs to be above 740. And for a car loan, 720 is good enough. I am subscribed to Equifax Score Watch, which tracks my credit score over time, and it also shows what interest rates I can get with my score. I made some screen shots showing different score ranges and the corresponding average national interest rates for different types of loans, which you may find interesting.

30-year fixed mortgage


$50K HELOC


36 month car loan

[PrincessPerky]

Is there a reason to care? I mean yeah if I was about to buy a house..or saving for one. sure, but I have a house..why should I care what my score is? (I do check the reports looking for anything that isn't us or false..I just never cared what the score was)

[disneysteve]

Is there a reason to care?

Maybe, maybe not. Some auto insurance companies base your rates on your credit score. Some employers consider your credit score when making hiring decisions.

And even if you think you are all set in life, you just never know what might happen. You could get a great offer for a new credit card and decide to apply. You could decide to remodel your home and need a home equity loan. You could decide to buy a new car and want to get qualified for the 0% financing offer.

Bottom line is it never hurts to have a good credit score.

[davlat]

Jan----- 708
Dec---- 706

All Transunion.. I got them from Wamu Visa card for free. I don't use their card so they did not update, I guess. I should charge about $4 as the way I did on Dec

[PrincessPerky]

Bottom line is it never hurts to have a good credit score.

Well I wasn't planning on ruining it

Just wondered why I would need to know, thanks for the ideas.

[disneysteve]

Well I wasn't planning on ruining it

Just wondered why I would need to know, thanks for the ideas.

Oh. In that case, no, there reallly is no reason you need to know your score.

[EconoMutt]

FICO was 800 in January

It dropped to 757 in September

I think this has a lot to do with opening new credit lines and actually maxing out one line.

[Snodog]

January was the last time I checked a couple of my scores.

Experian- 820
Equifax -810

[karenkc]

pls delete. starting new thread.

[amarowsky]

I believe mine was around 710-720 about six months ago, not too sure what its at now. I paid off a CC in full since then, and have gathered no other debt, so I wager it's gone up a little bit.

[AtlantaLife&Health]

Everyone should try to keep their balances as low as possible. This will help increase your scores over time. Paying on time also helps as well as limiting the amount of inquiries on your credit.