Knowing how to get your credit score is very important. There are many different reasons why your credit will be checked and sometimes it is useful to know your score before even attempting to purchase large items such as a car or even a house. Knowing your credit score will give you an idea of what your odds are going into the potential purchase and you will have an opportunity to examine all your options for raising it if this is necessary.

Obtaining your credit score should not be that difficult. You can request it on various websites or go through a company that helps you improve your credit. If you suspect your credit is in peril, you might consider talking to someone from such a company. This can be a great alternative to filing bankruptcy.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act legislation is what will enable you to obtain one free copy of your credit report from each of the three major agencies who report to companies. They are: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. This can be done annually. This means you are unable to do so multiple times during the year. If you would like to check your reports multiple times throughout the year you can do so by getting a free yearly copy from only one credit bureau at a time. This means you may check your Experian report in February, Equifax in June, and TransUnion in October.

You can obtain your report for free from annualcreditreport.com. You will have to pay a small fee for this service to receive your credit score, but it may be worth your while to do this, especially if you need help getting your finances back in order. If you would like to view your credit reports multiple times per year you can pay to do so here. It is the only website authorized by the government to give you your free credit report online.

There are also other ways of obtaining your credit score that are free and definitely worth mentioning. The FICO score will be the most dificult to get but is still worth the hassle that may be involved. You can sign up for a credit monitoring trial and obtain your FICO score that way. If you do not wish to pay for the service once the trial has expired, you can cancel it. You will still have your FICO score for free.

It is also possible to obtain your TransUnion and Experian scores for free. You will also be able to get these scores without the use of a credit card, unlike the FICO score where a credit card must be used in order to sign up for the trial services like those mentioned above.

Your TransUnion score can be obtained directly from them for a fee. It is also possible to get it for free by signing up fir a credit monitoring trial service very much like those mentioned above.

You can also obtain your Experian score directly from them and can also sign up for free service at various websites that allow you to access your credit score and free credit report for free. Here you will also find other pieces of financial information pertaining to you that can be very useful in helping you improve your overall credit.

But be cautious when receiving your credit score this way. The score you receive from these companies will be very different from the score you will receive when applying for credit or trying to buy a home or car; as much as 50 points different. Why? All creditors are looking for something different in your credit report.