Help With Credit Score - Everytime I try to get my credit score online it says that I need a credit card. Is there a free place?

Everytime I try to get my credit score online it says that I need a credit card. Is there a free place?

Also if i did not pay on two credit cards when I was younger and also have a cell phone bill on my credit, does that mean I have bad credit? And I'm paying off a car now, will that increase my credit score by alot when I'm finished?

Public Comments

No there is not a free place online to get your credit score. You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to get a copy of your credit report for free but you'll have to pay about $7 for your score. If you have had prior delinquencies and a collection for a cell phone bill it doesn't necessarily mean you have bad credit, but it would be considered blemished for sure. All depending on how many time, and how late your payments were on the credit card in addition to how recently you were late on them will determine how badly it damaged your credit score. Paying off a car loan won't really increase your credit score. Making good (on time) monthly payments over time will help your scores more than going and paying a loan off (reason being because once a debt is paid off you're not showing proof of payment history anymore).
1st question - No there is not anywhere online that you can get your credit SCORE for free. Your credit score is provided by FICO (Fair Isaac Corp) which is a 3rd party company and therefor does not fall under the one free per year policy. You can get your credit report for free from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp once per year with no credit card requirment. 2nd question - we can't tell you if those things mean you have bad credit. It depends on if they have been paid off or not, and how long ago it was. If they are not paid off the statute of limitations for suing you to collect the debt is probably up...but they can try to collect the debt until you die or you pay. 3rd question - The actuall act of paying regularly and on time for your car should be increasing your score. Paying it off will not help it in a significant amount...please see the breakdown of what your credit score consists of: 35% Payment History 30% Amounts Owed 15% Length of Credit History 10% New Credit 10% Types of Credit So as you see payment history is the biggest factor in your credit score...so making those ontime payments on your car really helps.
yeah, you can go to annualcreditreport.com. It doesn't show your score, but you do get to see all three and its free. You can also dispute items.
you need search free reports online. Here are the score ranges: * 760-850 Excelent * 700-759 Very Good * 660-699 Good * 620-659 Marginal * 580-619 Poor * 500-579 Very Poor I found interesting information about Credit Reports & options here. http://all-debt-consolidation-loan.blogspot.com/2007/08/credit-reports.htmlGood luck!
A Credit card for people with bad credit is a form of borrowing that often involves charges. So it's wise to compare terms and fees before you agree to open a credit or charge card account. Try looking for a credit cardwhich credit cards you should apply for? Shop around because not all credit cards for people with bad credit are created equal.
The following 5 critical factors affect your credit score in a major way. By knowing these you can keep a check on them and make your credit score a healthy one. 1. Re-payment history This factor carries the highest weight in your credit report. How steadfast are you in repaying your loans, makes your credit report shine. Experts claim that this factor alone accounts for 35% of points in your credit score. So, if you falter on repayment front it is sure to be reflected poorly on your credit score. 2. Outstanding debt The next comes your debt burden. How much you owe is a factor that according to experts carries about 30% weight in your credit score. This is 30% is based upon outstanding debt. To get a better score it is advised that you keep your outstanding debt to a minimum. 3. Length of your established credit history The time for which you have a credit history also matters. The longer your established credit history the more credit reporting agencies believe in you. This could be simply because of the fact that they have more data to analyze your financial position. Experts give it a 15% weight in determining your credit score. 4. The state of your financial accounts How much money do you have in your bank account, your income levels, your house, car, your assets etc. comes the next. A healthy bank account reflects a healthy credit score. Experts find that credit reporting agencies give this factor 10% weight while determining your credit score. Read more from: http://www.credit-card-gallery.com/article/204,5_critical_factors_affecting_your_credit_score