Most people know that they are entitled to receive their free credit report from each credit reporting agency once per year, but trying to obtain your credit score for free can be a nightmare. It can be done, but it usually requires you to provide your credit card number and then, after you’ve received your score, to beg and plead with the representative to cancel the $19.95/month subscription that you never wanted in the first place before the 7-day trial period expires.
Fortunately, there are two legitimately free ways to obtain your credit score, neither of which requires a credit card or involves a gimmicky trial period: Credit Sesame and Credit Karma. Each service pulls your credit information from a different credit reporting agency (Credit Sesame pulls from Experian and Credit Karma pulls from TransUnion), so it definitely makes sense to sign up for both and obtain your credit scores from both credit reporting agencies. (For more information on the three credit reporting agencies, see this post). Credit Sesame and Credit Karma also monitor your credit reports for changes and provide information about your credit accounts, credit utilization, and the factors that are driving your score up or weighing your score down. And both have great smartphone apps too.
So how do Credit Sesame and Credit Karma make money? They employ the same model as another service I love, Mint: they promote other financial products (credit cards, mortgages, and saving accounts, primarily) and hope that you’ll apply for them. These promotions are somewhat transparently disguised as “advice” (“You’re overpaying on your home loan” or “You could save $X per month on your auto insurance”), so just use your common sense and don’t refinance your mortgage because Credit Karma tells you that you’re overpaying (unless you are!).
In the interest of full disclosure, I will earn a small referral credit if you decide to sign up for Credit Sesame through my link (nothing for Credit Karma). I’ve used both services for years and have been highly recommending them to friends and family long before a commission was involved :).