Your credit score is a three-digit number (typically between 300 and 850) that represents your creditworthiness based on the information in your credit report. The two most common scoring models are FICO (averaging 713 in the US) and VantageScore (averaging 705). You can check your credit score for free through your bank or credit card app, a personal finance site like Credit Karma, or directly from the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Knowing your credit score matters because it affects almost every major financial decision — from loan approvals and interest rates to apartment applications and even some job offers. Checking it is free, easy, and won't hurt your credit, so there's no reason not to know where you stand.
Key Takeaways
Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 that lenders use to gauge how risky you are as a borrower. The two main models are FICO, averaging 713, and VantageScore, averaging 705, and both pull from your credit report.
Checking your own score is free and won't hurt your credit — you can see it through your bank app, free sites like Credit Karma or directly from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Only hard pulls from lenders cause a small temporary dip.
Aim for a score above 670 to unlock better rates and approvals. Pay every bill on time, keep credit utilization low and check your report monthly for errors to build your number fast.
Summary generated by AI, verified by MoneyLion editors
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What Is a Credit Score?
A credit score is a three-digit number that represents your creditworthiness. There are different scoring models, including FICO and VantageScore. Lenders use them to assess your risk level as a borrower and determine your likelihood of defaulting on a loan.
Your score is based on the information in your credit report, which includes payment history and other important information about your history and status regarding current and recent loans, judgments and bankruptcies.
A credit report is not the same as a credit score, but the information in the former determines the latter.
How to Find Out What Your Credit Score Is
There are several ways to check your credit score.
Check With Your Credit Card Issuer or Bank
Many banks and card providers offer free access to VantageScore and FICO scores online or through their mobile apps.
Use a Free Credit Score Site
Free personal finance platforms such as Credit Karma provide credit scores at no cost, as do the three credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, but they also offer paid premium services.
Buy Your FICO Score Directly From MyFICO
MyFICO offers direct access to a broad range of scores, with subscriptions priced from $0 to $39 per month, depending on your needs. A purchase might make sense if you’re planning for a mortgage or another major loan, as it provides all of the many versions of your FICO score, including mortgage-specific scores used by home lenders.
Get Your Score Through a Credit Monitoring Service
Credit-monitoring services keep an eye on your credit and notify you of changes and activity. Your bank or credit card might provide a free option, and providers such as LifeLock and credit bureaus such as Equifax offer premium subscription-based services.
Check Your Free Credit Reports at AnnualCreditReport.com
AnnualCreditReport.com is the official source for credit reports authorized by federal law. It previously issued one free credit report from each of the three bureaus every 12 months. It has since switched to issuing them once per week upon request. While credit reports are free, the site may charge a fee to provide official credit scores.
Does Checking Your Credit Score Hurt It?
Checking your own score does not negatively impact your credit. However, inquiries from lenders or other parties can modestly and temporarily lower your score — but only when they conduct a hard pull. Soft pulls, which are common for preapprovals, have no impact on your score, but hard pulls are required to complete most applications.
A hard pull can lower your score by a few points, but it typically rebounds within a few billing cycles. Too many hard pulls for different loan types in a short time can cause more substantial damage, but not if you’re shopping around for the same kind of loan.
Credit Score Ranges and What They Mean
All credit scores fall into ranges defined by lenders' perceptions. Both FICO and VantageScore issue scores ranging from 300 to 850, with higher being better, but they’re grouped into different tiers and use different terminology.
FICO score ranges
Poor: 300-579
Fair: 580-669
Good: 670-739
Very good: 740-799
Excellent: 800-850
VantageScore ranges
Subprime: 300-600
Near prime: 601-660
Prime: 661-780
Superprime: 781-850
Why You Might Have More Than One Credit Score
FICO is the most commonly used scoring model, but VantageScore is a popular alternative for many lenders. Additionally, the credit bureaus have their own proprietary scoring models. Each model provides specific formulas for specific industries, such as credit cards, home loans and auto loans. Therefore, you don’t have just one score. You have many scores, and they can vary from one bureau to the next.
What Factors Determine Your Credit Score?
The most common scoring model, FICO, factors five elements into your score that determines your credit score.
Payment history (35%)
Credit utilization (30%)
Length of credit history (15%)
Credit mix (10%)
New credit (10%)
VantageScore uses similar, but not identical, percentages for the same categories.
Why Is My Credit Score Different on Different Sites?
Lenders, creditors and others report your activity to the three credit bureaus, but each bureau might pull different data, so your score can vary from one site to another. Additionally, different scoring models use their own calculations, which can also result in variations, as can the timing of data reporting.
The score that matters most depends on the type of loan you’re pursuing. For example, for mortgages, Experian uses FICO Score 2, TransUnion uses FICO Score 4 and Equifax uses FICO Score 5. Auto lenders use different models, as do credit card issuers.
Alternatively, lenders might pull your VantageScore profile instead of the more widely used FICO model, which also has several variations and industry-specific sub-scores.
What Is Considered a Good Credit Score?
Anything above 660-670 is generally considered a good score with both FICO and VantageScore. That’s usually enough to get applications approved and secure loans at decent rates. Sometimes, however, good isn’t good enough. Premium credit cards and jumbo mortgages, for example, often require excellent credit. Those with scores of 780 to 800 or above secure the best rates and terms, but set realistic, incremental targets based on your current score.
What Does My Credit Score Affect?
Your credit score impacts virtually every aspect of your financial life, including:
Loan and credit card approvals
Interest rates and loan terms
Mortgage qualification
Rental applications
Car insurance premiums (in some states)
Utility deposits
Employment background checks (in some industries)
Cell phone contracts
Why Don't I Have a Credit Score?
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, millions of Americans are “credit invisible,” meaning they don’t have a credit score. It’s usually the result of having no credit history or reported accounts, although sometimes a first account hasn’t posted yet, or old accounts have fallen off a report, with no new activity to replace them.
Credit invisibles must create a credit profile from scratch, which they can do by using secured credit-builder cards or becoming an authorized user on a friend or family member’s card first.
How to Improve Your Credit Score
If you check your score and don’t like what you see, the following tips can help you build and maintain better credit.
Pay bills on time, every time
Lower your credit utilization
Keep old accounts open
Limit new credit applications
Dispute errors on your credit report
Become an authorized user
Use a secured card or a credit-builder loan
How Often Should You Check Your Credit Score?
Checking your credit doesn’t hurt your score, so you can look any time you like. However, you should always check before you apply for a loan or credit card, if you suspect identity theft and after you pay down a debt or close an account.
Generally, checking in monthly can keep you plugged in and aware of changes.
How to Check Your Credit Score for Free
Checking your credit can be easy and free — and remember, checking won’t hurt your score.
Use your card issuer or bank’s app
Register for free monitoring sites, such as Credit Karma
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com
What to Do After You Check Your Credit Score
Checking your score is a great first step. Once you know your number, consider these follow-up steps.
Understand what your number means for your goals
Review your credit report for errors
Identify any factors dragging your score down
Set a realistic improvement plan
Monitor for changes over time
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers to these common questions can help you understand your all-important credit score.
What's the average credit score?
According to Experian, the average VantageScore is 705. The average FICO score is 713.
Is 700 a good credit score?
Yes. 700 falls into the “good” or “prime” range with all models.
How can I see my credit score without paying?
Personal finance sites like Credit Karma provide unlimited free scores, as do credit bureaus, such as TransUnion and Experian. It’s also likely that your bank or credit card provider offers free scores through their apps.
Why is my credit score different on Credit Karma vs. my bank?
Many factors can lead to variations in scores, including the type of scoring model used, which bureau is reporting and when the data is received.
How fast can I raise my credit score?
Removing inaccurate information from your report or paying down a major debt can spur substantial improvement in as little as 30 to 90 days.
What's the highest credit score possible?
The highest credit score is 850 for both FICO and VantageScore.
Do I have a credit score if I've never had a credit card?
You might, provided you have other reportable accounts, such as personal loans or a mortgage. However, credit “invisibles” don’t have any information, and therefore, no score.
Key Terms
Credit score: A three-digit number that estimates how likely you are to repay borrowed money on time, based on details in your credit reports.
Credit report: A record of your credit history, including payment history, account balances and other details lenders may review.
FICO Score: A credit scoring model that uses credit report data to predict risk and help lenders decide whether to approve credit.
VantageScore: A credit scoring model that uses information from your credit reports to measure creditworthiness, usually on a 300 to 850 scale.
Hard inquiry: A credit check tied to a new credit application that can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points.
Sources:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What is a credit score?
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What is a credit report?
VantageScore: The Complete Guide to Your VantageScore Credit Score
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What is a credit inquiry?
Summary generated by AI, verified by MoneyLion editors
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