If you are applying for a mortgage or just want to check your credit standing you need to get your FICO score. There are three different credit bureaus and they each have a file on you. They record what is reported to them by your accounts. It is off of your credit report that your credit score is calculated. Your credit score is then used by lenders to assess the risk of default. Then the lender takes this into consideration when deciding if they will give you a loan and at what interest rate. Knowing your FICO score is the perfect way to make sure you are prepared for the loan process. Can you find a free FICO score? There are three things to know before trying to find a free FICO score.

The first thing about a free FICO score is a free credit score is not included on your free credit report. This is something that is easily confused by most people. Your credit report does not come with a free FICO score. It is an extra.

The Second, an actual free FICO score comes with some strings attached. For example, if you go to Experian's, you can get a free online FICO score, but you need to do something. You have to sign up for their credit monitoring product. It is free for the first 30 days but after that you will have to pay. There is also a short cancellation period and to get you free FICO score, you will have to put down your credit. It is not charged unless you don't cancel within this allotted period.

The third thing about a free online FICO score is a credit score is not a FICO score. There is several different ways to score credit and all not created equal. You need to know that the majority of the mortgage lenders in the country primarily use FICO scores. The credit bureaus offer their own scores so you need to make sure you read to ensure you are getting a FICO score.

In many ways, there is no true way to get a free FICO score. This is because of the things you must sign up for to get it. They seem free at first, but that all changes if you don't cancel the service. As we all know, us consumers are very forgetful. If you don't want to worry about all this you will have to pay. If you are willing to pay you need to go to the source, Fair Isaac the creators of the FICO score website MyFICO.com. There you can get your FICO scores for one time price.