# My credit status **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2013, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979 "2013-07-31T10:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/1 "2013-07-31T10:24:28Z")
If I wanted to check my USA credit status without paying a fee, is there a reliable internet site to do this? I have googled and come across many, many sites that claim to do this. They ask for lots of personal info. Many of them have low WOT ratings. ([http://www.mywot.com/](http://www.mywot.com/) if you don’t know what WOT is). So what’s the straight dope about looking up one’s credit status? thanks ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/2 "2013-07-31T11:00:25Z")
The correct site is [annualcreditreport.com](http://annualcreditreport.com), which was set up by the three major credit bureaus to comply with legislation that mandates every consumer being able to get their own credit report once a year for free. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/3 "2013-07-31T11:38:30Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The correct site is [annualcreditreport.com](http://annualcreditreport.com), which was set up by the three major credit bureaus to comply with legislation that mandates every consumer being able to get their own credit report once a year for free. FTR, this site will allow you to get your credit reports, but it doesn’t allow you to see your credit score (unless it’s changed from last time I did it). ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/4 "2013-07-31T12:08:24Z")
Credit Karma will give you the TransUnion _estimate_ of your FICO score for free, as well as various other less commonly used credit and insurance scores. IME, the FICO estimate is pretty close. A few times, creditors have sent me the credit report they pulled as a courtesy, and the official FICO score was within 10 or 20 points of the Credit Karma estimate. Note that while Credit Karma is free, they’re a commercial site and they’re in the business of advertising for creditors. Most of the site is plastered with ads with dubious claims about SAVING YOU MONEY. For example: if you refinance your current 3%, 3-year auto loan with this 4%, 6-year loan, you will save hundreds of dollars\*! \*on payments for the next six months. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/5 "2013-07-31T12:26:10Z")
Seconding creditkarma. Just don’t click on the ads. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/6 "2013-07-31T12:52:06Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Seconding creditkarma. Just don’t click on the ads. Thirding it. Quite helpful and easy to use. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/7 "2013-07-31T13:12:37Z")
Another vote for creditkarma. Been using them for 3 years and never any problems. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-status/664979/8 "2013-07-31T13:28:20Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > Credit Karma will give you the TransUnion _estimate_ of your FICO score for free, as well as various other less commonly used credit and insurance scores. IME, the FICO estimate is pretty close. Important to emphasize it is an _estimate_, like similar sites [Credit.com](http://Credit.com) and Quizzle. I’ve found that their scores tend to be on the low side, sometimes significantly. My actual TransUnion score was more than 50 points higher than Credit Karma’s estimate.