# Checking my Credit
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 6, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442 "2005-01-06T20:07:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/1 "2005-01-06T20:07:53Z")
This had probably been asked more than once, but I’m new and can’t figure out how to search properly. I’m interested in looking into/tracking my credit. I have no idea if it’s “good” or “bad” or how/what the scale even is or represents.
It seems this is a hot issue with many online companies offering (for a price) credit ratings, etc…
I have no idea where to go, so my question is for those who use these services, what are your recommendations?
. . .My citi card website advertises Credit Managememt for $9.95/mo, which I’m sure includes tracking of your score, etc., but I’ve also heard ads for [equifax.com](http://equifax.com), and everybody has heard of [freecreditreport.com](http://freecreditreport.com)…
Any help would be appreciated!!!
---
### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/2 "2005-01-06T21:10:13Z")
Due to a recent amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, everyone in the US is entitled to a free copy of their credit report from all three major bureaus once per year. This doesn’t include your FICO score; for that you have to pay extra.
[Here](http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm) is a helpful page from the FTC.
If you want your credit reports and FICO scores, and helpful advice for improving your credit, you can get a 3-in-1 credit report with scores from [truecredit.com](http://truecredit.com) for $30. [Truecredit.com](http://Truecredit.com) is run by TransUnion (one of the major credit bureaus) and not a third party that will rip you off. I’ve used them before and been quite pleased.
---
### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/3 "2005-01-06T21:21:05Z")
Would this tell me how many open lines of credit I have? When I was in college in the late '90s, I signed up for dozens of credit cards, because they’d offer things like a free T-shirt or cup or cold beverage, or coupons for free food. I’d fill out the applications and forget all about it.
When I’d eventually get credit cards in the mail, I would be responsible and cut them up immediately. I only kept the first college credit card I ever received (a Visa), and my only other credit card is an [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) Visa I applied for last summer. I probably have at least a few other open lines of credit from all those cards I cut up but never formally cancelled–how would I go about finding out for sure? And will that harm my credit in one way or another, even if I never used the cards once?
---
### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/4 "2005-01-06T21:25:37Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#):
>
> Would this tell me how many open lines of credit I have? When I was in college in the late '90s, I signed up for dozens of credit cards, because they’d offer things like a free T-shirt or cup or cold beverage, or coupons for free food. I’d fill out the applications and forget all about it.
>
> When I’d eventually get credit cards in the mail, I would be responsible and cut them up immediately. I only kept the first college credit card I ever received (a Visa), and my only other credit card is an [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) Visa I applied for last summer. I probably have at least a few other open lines of credit from all those cards I cut up but never formally cancelled–how would I go about finding out for sure? And will that harm my credit in one way or another, even if I never used the cards once?
It will probably show most of them. A credit report will have both open accounts and closed ones on it. If some of those accounts were with creditors that don’t report to the bureaus, then those accounts will not show up on the report. But only the accounts on the report will affect your scores. So it’s the ones on the report that count.
---
### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/5 "2005-01-07T02:38:15Z")
I just recently learned that checking your own credit does not cause your credit rating to take a hit; however, every time you apply for a credit card, loan, mortgage, etc. where someone _else_ checks your credit rating, your credit rating does take a hit of sorts. So, apply for all those credit cards with free stuff judiciously.
---
### Author:  [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/6 "2005-01-07T14:40:10Z")
Wow, thanks friedo, that’s exactly the type of information I needed, and it will probably save me money. I just might have to subscribe to these boards! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/7 "2005-01-07T14:57:45Z")
> [@featherlou](#):
>
> I just recently learned that checking your own credit does not cause your credit rating to take a hit; however, every time you apply for a credit card, loan, mortgage, etc. where someone _else_ checks your credit rating, your credit rating does take a hit of sorts. So, apply for all those credit cards with free stuff judiciously.
Or all at the same time. Actually the “hit” you take from inquiries is rather ephemeral–the drop in score goes away after a few months.
Moreover, the nice folks at Fair Isaac realize that people might shop around, so they only count the first inquiry of a given type (for example, mortgage companies, credit card providers) during a fourteen day period.
Finally, the drop is usually pretty small.
---
### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/8 "2005-01-08T06:46:45Z")
Here is the link for obtaining your yearly free credit reports - [http://www.annualcreditreport.com](http://www.annualcreditreport.com) . Keep in mind that only folks on the west coast are curretly eligible right now.
You would also do yourself a favor and spend the money and obtain a comprehensive credit report and scores from all three reporting services. The above free report does not list credit scores.
---
### Author:  [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/9 "2005-01-08T08:34:02Z")
[freecreditreport.com](http://freecreditreport.com) will give you a free copy of one of them (Experian, IIRC) immediately. But you do have to then go back w/in 30 days to cancel your “membership” or they’ll start billing you.
---
### Author:  [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/10 "2005-01-08T08:37:03Z")
> [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](#):
>
> I just might have to subscribe to these boards! 🙂
It’s the best $15 you’ll ever spend outside of Bangkok.
Yes, that was humor.
---
### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-my-credit/283442/11 "2005-01-08T17:11:35Z")
> [@Gfactor](#):
>
> Or all at the same time. Actually the “hit” you take from inquiries is rather ephemeral–the drop in score goes away after a few months.
>
> Moreover, the nice folks at Fair Isaac realize that people might shop around, so they only count the first inquiry of a given type (for example, mortgage companies, credit card providers) during a fourteen day period.
>
> Finally, the drop is usually pretty small.
Yeah, you’re probably right. It just stuck out for me when we were getting our mortgage, and my credit report came back spotless except for the credit checks done when I applied for a stupid store credit card to get the free crap. This is a point of pride for me - I’ve had plenty of financial struggles, but my credit is virtually unblemished.