Consumers wonder what’s the difference between your credit score and your FICO credit score. It’s your FICO score that’s important. It is calculated by all three credit bureaus and may be a little different. It can range from 300 to 850. Your genuine FICO score will be label as “Officially certified FICO Score”. Each of the three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union, will calculate their own version of your credit score and this is based on what’s on your credit report. The lenders and creditors use your FICO score to determine your credit worthiness; this is what they will actually use.
You can go to www.myfico.com) to get your actual FICO score. This is the actual Fair Isaac Corporation website where you can also monitor your scores more frequently.

This website will monitor your Equifax credit report and score on a continuously. You will be emailed when there are sudden changes or updates on your report. It can also let you know when you qualify for better interest rates, and gives you positive key points and negative factors impacting your credit score on your credit report.

Your FICO score is used by most lenders and creditors in making their decisions. Make sure that the credit score is a genuine FICO score or it may be another type of score that the lender determines their decisions. Equifax is the only credit reporting agency that automatically supplies you with your FICO score upon your credit score purchase. If you want to be sure you are looking at the same score that the leaders are viewing then you should request your credit reports directly from the actual three credit bureaus, then it is best to get your genuine FICO score from the myfico.com site.

Once every 12 months you can get your free copy of your credit report. Obtain your free credit report annually from a well known credit report service that is sponsored by all the credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The Annual Credit Report Service is authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. This is where you can go to obtain your free credit report from each of the major credit reporting agencies. The faster and easy way to get your free credit report is to get it online at www.annualcreditreport.com. In less than 5 minutes your credit score can be available to you for free.

Note that when you receive your credit score, be sure that it is your actual FICO score. Your Fico score is the actual score that creditors and lenders use to determind your credit worthiness.