How To Get Your Credit Score
After reading the last chapter (Part III) 33 Ways to Optimize Your Credit Now, you may have realized that you have already damaged your credit in some way. This section of this guide is devoted to teaching you how to rapidly and ethically improve your score so that your three-digit number is one more attractive to lenders.
Of course, the first step to improving your score is to procure a copy off your FICO scores.
You need to make sure that you are getting a real FICO or NextGen score. Keep in mind that the credit bureaus sometimes market scores to consumers that aren’t based on the FICO formulae – which is the score typically used by lenders. The bureaus will tell you that these scores are good indication of a consumer’s credit worthiness but the results differ from the FICO numbers that are examined by the lenders.
By law you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of three major credit bureaus. Don’t ask for a credit report. Ask directly for your FICO scores.
As mentioned in the last chapter the FICO scores are referred to by different names depending on which credit bureau you call.
• Equifax and Equifax Canada call their credit scores Beacon\
• Experian calls its credit scores Experian or Fair Isaac Risk Model
• Transunion and Transunion Canada calls their credit scores Empirica
Be careful not to be misled by the promise of free access to your credit score. Typically those offers require that you sign up for credit monitoring or other services that are no free. M
Make sure you read the fine print before you order this type of credit score. Always remember too that the real intention of these companies is to gather your email address and other important information about you that can be sold to other companies.
Also keep in mind that each time one of these commercial companies offers to find your credit score that they leave a hard inquiry style negative comment on your record.
One reputable place to get your scores is MyFICO.com. MyFICO.com is a joint venture between Equifax and Fair Isaac. On this site you can get your credit scores from each of three bureaus for about $39. An individual report from each company costs about $12.95.
If you don’t have a computer or Internet access, you can get FICO scores based on Transunion credit files through a company called Intersection at 1-800-695-7536.
You can also order your reports separately or online from the big three credit bureaus. Here is how you to contact them by snail mail --
Equifax
www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
Equifax Information Services LLC
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
All correspondence to Equifax must include:
• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Current street address, city, state , zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Proof of your current address (in the form of a drier’s license or utility bill.)
• Phone number
• Signature
• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Equifax
Experian
www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742
All correspondence to Experian must include:
• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Spouse’s full name and social security number
• Current street address, city, state, zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Two proofs of your current address (in the form of a driver’s license or utility bill.)\
• Phone number
• Signature
• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Experian
Trans Union
www.transunion.com
1-800-888-4213
All correspondence to Transunion must include:
• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Spouse’s full name and social security number
• Current street address, city, state, zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Two proofs of your current address (in the form of a driver’s license or utility bill.) Information about current employer
• Phone number
• Signature
• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Experian
The reason that the different credit bureaus ask for so much information about you is that they have to verify who you are to prevent identity theft.
If by some chance you are charged for your obtaining your credit scores here is a letter than you can use to protest the injustice and get a refund.
Fair Credit Billing Act Letter
Business name
Billing Inquiries Department
Address
City, state zip code
Re: Name –Account Number
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please be advised that I am hereby disputing the billing error in the amount of $ ___ on my account. The amount is inaccurate because this is my only request for a credit report since (name the year) and according to the Fair Credit act I am entitled to one free report a year.
I request that this error be corrected immediately and that any corresponding finance and other charges related to this amount be properly credited. Please also forward a revised and corrected statement of my account reflecting the correction of the error.
I am enclosing copies of (documents needed to support your claim such as your receipt) in support of my claim
I may be reached at (insert your telephone number) or by email at (insert your email address.)
I thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Yours truly,
Your name