FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, which invented the most commonly used credit score in use today. The three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, each maintain their own sets of scores using slightly different criteria, based on the type of data that the companies keep on file.

The scores help prospective lenders and credit card issuers assess the risk of offering accounts to different applicants. The scores are also used as a basis for adjusting interest rates on existing accounts.


Use FICO Credit Score Estimators

These calculators provide estimates, not real scores, so don’t assume your score is exactly the same as what is estimated. The more accurate the information you input into these tools, the more accurate the estimate you’ll receive. Many people supply more optimistic information about their borrowing histories than what the actual data held by the credit bureaus reflect.

Nothing short of real FICO scores will give you the same data that the credit bureaus provide, but most real FICO scores cost money to obtain. Some services offering free credit reports typically stop short of providing scores from all three bureaus, or give score estimates that may not be entirely accurate and may reflect a better score than what you actually have. Either tactic usually has the ultimate objective of getting you to pay for real credit scores from all three bureaus. You are entitled to free credit reports once a year, depending on which state you live in, but situations like identity theft and debt reduction call for more frequent checking of credit. These free reports do not include your actual credit score.


Where to Find Them

Estimates of FICO scores may not be identical to real credit scores, but estimators are still a lot better than not having any idea your credit looks like. FICO score estimators available online include:

  • Credit Reports and Scores: This site has both estimates of scores and the real thing. The site offers a one-month free trial, and after that a paid subscription is required.
  • FreeCreditReport.com: This online service offers both FICO score estimators and real scores, although the latter costs money.
  • My FICO: The tool asks ten questions, plus additional ones that might pop up depending on certain answers. Upon completion, you see an estimated range of scores and recommendations of products based on these numbers.
  • What’s My Score: This questionnaire also consists of ten questions and has links to services providing full credit reports, identity theft management and debt consolidation.
  • Zendough: You can get estimates of your FICO scores as part of a one-week free trial on this site focused on credit management. 
  • Zillow: This FICO score estimator relies on data from Experian, and includes a link to the credit bureau where you can obtain your actual score and credit history.


Observe the Differences

Sample more than one credit score estimator and you will see that there are differences reflecting which credit bureau’s data is the basis for the score. Some calculators cite a range of possible scores as a way of accounting for the different scoring techniques used by the three major credit bureaus.  


Know the Score

The proliferation of identity theft, burgeoning debt levels and increasing variation in interest rates offered to people with different credit histories are all good reasons why it’s worthwhile to consult a FICO credit score estimator. These tools can either temporarily substitute for obtaining actual credit scores or supplement this data.

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