FreeCreditScore.com is closely related to FreeCreditReport.com, and provides you with a free Experian-powered FICO credit score. No credit card is required when you sign up, and FCS updates your credit score every 30 days, or every time that you sign in to the system. FreeCreditScore.com is ran by Experian, and offers both a web-based platform and mobile-based app.
Your FICO credit score is displayed in an intuitive and comprehensive manner, with FCS taking advantage of simple charts and infographics in order to convey your FICO score and what it represents. You will be able to see your FICO score, from 300-850, and the clear labeling next to your score will indicate whether it is a “very good” or “very bad” score, as well as all the options in between. Convenient color-coding (with green being good, amber being neutral, and red being bad) means that you can understand the status of your credit score with a quick glance. This makes it great for consumers with limited credit and financial knowledge.
FreeCreditScore.com also comes with live phone support for its customers, with its helpful staff standing by to tackle your queries and concerns about your credit score. The “blog” section on their website is also incredibly useful, and allows you to gain a deeper understanding of things such as credit calculators, credit score analyses, identity theft protection, and much more. FCS’s helpful glossary page can also be a lifesaver for consumers, especially if you’re not used to dealing with the complex terms and jargon that credit unions may use. Want to find out what a lien or a balloon payment is? Simply look them up on FCS’s glossary page for a clear and insightful explanation.
We should warn you at this point that the “free” credit score that FreeCreditScore.com advertises is not as free as it seems; there are indeed some strings attached. To receive your “free” credit score, you must first sign up for Experian’s Triple Advantage credit monitoring program for a fee. The membership may be canceled, however, within 7 days of joining. You will not be charged a fee if you cancel within these 7 days. To cancel, you should call up their call center and request a cancellation.
FreeCreditScore.com and FreeCreditReport.com have been the subject of legal disputes due to their misleading advertising of a “free” credit report, and have been forced to include messages in their advertising that indicate that the credit reports and scores are not necessarily free like the government-mandated ones are.
If you’re willing to pay (or narrowly avoid paying) a fee for your credit score, then go ahead and use them for the service. Experian is, after all, a well-trusted credit union, even if its marketing tactics can be deemed as deceptive. Just don’t be surprised when your free credit score is not as free as it seems to be. Any website advertising “no credit card required” for a “free” credit score/report should immediately ring alarm bells in your mind.