 TITLE: How Often Should I Check My Credit Score? CONTENT: You can check many of your credit scores for free online. For example, you can create a free Experian account to see your FICO® Score☉ 8 based on your Experian credit report.\nSome banks, credit unions, lenders and credit card issuers also offer free credit scores to current and prospective customers. There are also online financial technology companies that give members free credit scores.\nDepending on the provider, you may get either a FICO® Score or VantageScore® credit score, and the score could be based on either your Experian, TransUnion or Equifax credit report.\nAdditionally, you can purchase credit scores from FICO® and third-party providers. Buying a score doesn't always make sense, because you generally won't know which score type a lender will use to evaluate your application. However, many mortgage lenders use specific FICO® Score models. To help with your preparation, it may make sense to purchase those FICO® Scores or sign up for a program such as Experian CreditWorks℠ Premium that includes them.\nChecking your own credit will result in a soft inquiry being added to your credit report. Inquiries are simply records of who has viewed your credit, and soft inquiries have zero impact on your credit score. The other type of inquiry, a hard inquiry, is typically associated with applications for new credit accounts and may cause your credit scores to drop slightly. END