Does My Free Yearly Credit Report Include My Credit Score?

Unfortunately, there is no government mandate requiring credit bureaus to provide you with a free credit score.

Federal law entitles you to a free credit report — not a credit score

Federal law only gives you the right to a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus each year. You are entitled to receive a total of three credit reports: one from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free credit reports once a year from all three bureaus. You can order your credit reports online, via telephone, or through the mail. AnnualCreditReport.com includes detailed instructions for ordering your yearly credit report in each of those methods.

AnnualCreditReport.com also offers your credit scores from each bureau, but for a fee. Or, you can purchase your credit scores from each credit reporting agency or myFICO.com. Enrolling in a credit monitoring service also usually gives you access to your credit scores, while providing identity theft protection.

A credit score helps gauge your financial health

It’s a very good idea to check your credit score regularly to get a quick idea of where your credit stands. Your credit score is the numeric snapshot of your credit report that quickly shows where your credit stands. In general, credit scores range from 300 to 850 with higher scores being better.

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