Page 30 - increase your credit score

becoming a big deal, numerous websites have started to offer them for free.

Knowing Where to Get Your Scores

For example, one of the sites we often mention is Credit Karma. They offer scores and
histories from Equifax and TransUnion. Not only that, but they allow you to file disputes

directly from their website.

Credit Karma is just one of many sites offering free scores/reports, but they’re one of the
few who gives you scores from two different bureaus. Each of those bureaus uses slightly

different information when they input data into their scoring models.

Because of this, your scores will vary. At times, my TransUnion and Equifax scores were
virtually identical, and at other times, they were more than 10 points apart.

You’ll also notice that the bureaus will have slightly different information about you. For

instance, my Equifax report shows fewer credit inquiries than my TransUnion. Why? As
far as I can tell, it’s because Equifax’s score lumps auto-loan inquiries together as one,

while TransUnion counts them individually.

How to Interpret Your Report

Depending on the site you use, your scores and histories will be updated weekly or daily.

Understanding your credit report is pretty simple. The document contains records of all
credit accounts you’ve ever had: credit cards, student loans, auto loans and mortgages are

the most popular ones.

Each account will have information about your payments, usually showing you a grid of
your most recent payments. Delinquencies and charge-offs tend to be yellow, orange or

red, while on-time payments are green.

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