Steps to Financial & Business Success — Step 1

Check your individual credit scores — learn where to get them, what to look for, and how to fix errors.

Why check your credit scores?

Estimated time: 20–40 minutes

Your personal credit scores affect loan rates, insurance premiums, landlord decisions, and — for business owners — your ability to access personal guarantees or start building business credit. Start here to get a clean baseline before you form an LLC or apply for financing.

FICO (typical)
300–850
Common interpretation:
Excellent 800–850 · Good 670–799 · Fair 580–669 · Poor <580
VantageScore
300–850
Similar ranges, but scoring differs slightly — always check which model a service reports.

Quick actions

Start here
Get free reports (AnnualCreditReport) Experian (free score & monitoring) TransUnion Equifax
Tip: You can pull your credit reports for free once per 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com. Different consumer services (e.g., Credit Karma, Experian) may show scores from different models — compare reports for consistency.

How to get your scores & reports (recommended)

  1. Start at AnnualCreditReport.com to get full credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (free yearly).
  2. Check a free score service (Experian, Credit Karma, WalletHub) to view model-specific scores (FICO or VantageScore).
  3. For mortgage/auto quotes, lenders often use FICO. If you plan to apply soon, ask the lender which score model they use.

What to look for on your reports

  • Personal information (name, addresses, SSN last 4) — make sure it's your info.
  • Account details — balances, payment history, open/closed status.
  • Public records (tax liens, judgments) and collections.
  • Hard inquiries — note recent lender credit pulls (authorized vs unauthorized).
  • Any accounts you don't recognize — these may be identity theft.

If you find errors

Dispute, document, follow up

If an entry is incorrect, dispute with the reporting bureau (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and with the creditor. Save screenshots, dates, and any supporting documents.

Common questions

How often should I check my credit?
At minimum once per year from AnnualCreditReport, and quarterly from a credit monitoring service if you're actively building credit or anticipating an application.
Will checking my own score hurt it?
No — soft inquiries (when you check your own score) do not hurt your credit. Hard inquiries from lenders can have a small, temporary impact.
Which score matters most?
Depends on the lender. Mortgages commonly use FICO; some dealers or credit card issuers use different models. Ask the lender which model they use if you're applying.