How often do you check your FICO score?

[cantretire]

Twice a year. FICOs are used for everything now, including employment. I like to see my score and check for errors/identity theft. It should be done at least once a year.

[pearlieq]

I'm not advocating checking your score everyday, but completely neglecting it is not wise.

I prefer to save myself money by checking the "source data" periodically. I order my annual reports at a 4 month rotation.

If I received a renewal notice for an insurance policy that seemed to have increased too much, I would investigate and go from there. But I'm not giving a (in my opinion) shady organization money to check a silly, arbitrary score as a matter of course.

One of the nice things about achieving a certain amount of financial security is that I can go "off the grid" if I choose to.

[disneysteve]

Your FICO score is used for things other than taking out loans. Most notably auto and homeowner/renters insurance premiums.

I like to see my score and check for errors/identity theft. It should be done at least once a year.

I agree 100% that your credit score is used for other things, but I think checking your credit REPORT is far more important than buying your score. cantretire is correct that you should be checking for errors and identity theft, but you do that by reviewing your report, which is free, not your score, which you have to pay for.

As I said, I have checked my score a couple of times purely out of curiosity, but I don't expect to do it again.

[Exile]

DW and I haven't checked our respective scores in quite a while becaise we don't think we should have to buy this data. It's infuriating to think that (un)Fair Isaac can get away with charging consumers for information that is such an integral part of our financial records. If consumers are allowed an annual free peek at our credit reports,doesn't it stand to reason that our FICO scores should be included in that profile?

Under the vaunted American "free enterprise" system, people can supposedly choose from competing brands to meet their needs. But since there is no real competiton with FICO, Fair Isaac is a monopoly. And to make matters worse we have no recourse in this matter and nowhere to turn for assistance or protection of our interests.

Despite appeals from consumer advocate groups to the FTC and to our lawmakers, it doesn't look as though things will change unless perhaps we get a more enlightened administration in November, one that is not in bed with the finance industry as is Dubya and his crew.

[mishi07]

Just once a year. (Or if I feel like it) but its really something thats to be done on a timely basis. Like your annual whole body checkup.