Free Credit Report Card
No credit card. No trials. No commitments.
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Credit Sesame automatically obtains your credit information from TransUnion so you can keep track of your credit accounts, your debts, and other credit report factors.
Our patented analytic engine peruses your credit and debt situation daily and advises you on the amount you can save on loans,mortgages, credit cards and more.
With a free Credit Sesame membership, you’ll receive a monthly credit score update and credit monitoring from TransUnion, one of the three major credit report bureaus.
With your TransUnion score Credit Sesame will be able to pick the right credit cards for you and will show you the way to start the application to see if you will be approved.
We are always working on building a community of members who participate and help each other better understand the financial space.
Whether you are looking for a personal loan, student loan, or a car loan, we will help you pick the right one based your credit report card and the credit score provided.
A free Credit Sesame account utilizes information from TransUnion, one of the major national credit bureaus. Upgrade to a premium Credit Sesame plan for credit report info from all three bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. With full access to your credit history from each bureau, you’ll have a complete, comprehensive look at your credit activity.
The annual free credit report that you get from the major credit bureaus is different from the free credit report card that Credit Sesame provides its users. The main difference is the amount of information provided in the free yearly credit report that you get every year as part of the fair credit reporting act. The 3 credit reports you can get every year come from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.
Do you sit on the timely or late side paying your bills? Do you have any delinquent accounts in collection? How many loans have you successfully paid off in full? Your payment history makes the biggest impact on your FICO score. The first thing any lender wants to know is if you’ve paid your credit accounts on time.
A longer credit history indicates that you’re an experienced borrower worth lending money to. Being years into paying down an auto or home loan, for example, makes a favorable impression on your credit score. It’s never too late to start building a credit history, to show lenders that you’re an experienced, trustworthy borrower.
The amount of credit you owe also affects your credit score in a big way. If your credit-to- debt ratio (how much you owe compared to your available credit) is low, your credit score will benefit, since it illustrates that you don’t rely too much on credit. You can figure out your utilization rate by dividing your total credit balances by your total credit limits.
Sometimes it’s good to mix things up once in a while. Aim for a variety of revolving and installment credit, like credit cards, a loan or open account (like a utility bill). Though only a small influence on your credit score, a good credit mix means you can juggle those accounts and keep them in the air – financially speaking, that is.
Too many “hard” checks of your credit can ding your score. For example, if you apply for several credit cards at once, several credit inquiries will appear on your report. Too many credit checks (as well as applying for/opening too many accounts) can give the impression that you’re a credit risk. Apply for new credit accounts sparingly, to limit the amount of credit checks you may incur.
Equifax® 3-Bureau credit scores are dependent upon the Equifax Credit
score model formula, but are determined using the Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit
information.
Scoring Model:
Equifax Credit Score is based on a scoring range of 280 to 850. In comparison the FICO score range is 300 to 850.
Contact Information:
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30348
1(866)349-5191
TransUnion is a US based credit information provider that distributes
its scores to about 500 million consumers. It is the third-largest credit bureau in the US.
TransUnion uses the VantageScore 3.0 model.
Scoring Model:TransUnion Credit Score is based on a range of 300 to 850, poor to excellent respectively. It uses the VantageScore 3.0 model to determine the ranges.
Contact Information:
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
1(866)349-5191
Experian is one of the largest credit bureaus in the world that
provides data and analytical tools for consumers and businesses in order to determine credit
worthiness.
Scoring Model:The Experian National Equivalency Score ranges from 360 to 840 which is different from the VantageScore 3.0 model and FICO score.
Contact Information:
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
1(888)397-3741
Credit Sesame is 100% free to you! There are no trial periods, catches, gimmicks or fine print, and we’ll never ask for your credit card information or bill you by surprise. A free Credit Sesame account has no expiration, and gives you a full, updated view of your credit score and profile each month from one major credit bureau.
Your credit report is a document that lenders use to determine your credit worthiness. It contains your credit history that is collected by credit bureaus. The 3 major credit bureaus include Equifax, TransUnion, and Equifax. Not all credit reports will be equal as not all information is relayed to each credit bureau.
You, the three major credit bureaus, and any lenders you may do business with have access to your credit report. We won’t solicit or distribute your credit report or score to anyone when you sign up for a Credit Sesame account. And you can see your updated score anytime you log in, see the credit score range you’re currently in, and track your progress as your credit continues to improve and grow.
Your score is essentially a 3-digit summary of your credit health. A lender or credit card provider who looks at your credit score will be able to determine right away if you’re a borrower who can be trusted to pay back the money they lend you. Credit scores are calculated from the information in your credit report, a file containing all of your credit and financial activity over the months and years. Lenders will want to know you credit report and score to determine your ability to hold a loan.
A free Credit Sesame account utilizes information from TransUnion, one of the three credit reports from the major national credit bureaus. Upgrade to a premium Credit Sesame plan for credit report info from all three bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. With a full credit report you’ll have a complete, comprehensive look at your credit activity.
You can get 3 credit reports once a year from the 3 major credit bureaus (1 report per year each) to find out your credit standing. Your free yearly credit report from Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax will contain all of the credit information related to your account.
When you are applying for a loan or mortgage, leasing a car, or even renting an apartment a lender will pull your credit report in order to determine your creditworthiness. They will typically do a hard credit inquiry, which can lower your score slightly, compared to a soft credit pull that is usually done to just view your credit report.
If you are applying for a mortgage to buy a new home or you want to lease a new car, the lender who is providing you the loan will then pull your credit report in order to determine if you are eligible for a loan, also known as your creditworthiness. Other times a credit report will be pulled is when you are planning on renting an apartment or if you just want to browse your current credit standing yourself.
Your 3 credit reports will be pulled when a lender needs to determine if you are eligible to get a loan or get approved for a new credit card that you are applying for from an issuer. Your credit report which comes from one of the major bureau or all 3 major bureaus depending on the provider you choose to go with. For example, with the VantageScore 3.0 you will have the benefit of getting all 3 of your credit reports displayed.
When you are doing a credit check yourself pulling your annual free credit report you are performing a soft credit inquiry. This type of action does not impact your credit at all. On the other hand if you are applying for a loan, a credit card, or a mortgage, that will be counted as a hard credit inquiry and will slightly decrease your credit score.
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is responsible for encouraging the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of all data that is held by the credit reporting bureaus in the United States. Some of the major rights under the FCRA include you being told when information in your current file is used against you, what data is held in your file, request your credit score, dispute inaccurate or incomplete data, and the reporting agency must correct or delete the data that is not accurate or complete.
Although there is no set amount of time required to attain a good credit score, having an aged credit account does make a significant impact on your credit score value. The account age category is responsible for 15% of your credit calculation. This section of your score is responsible for giving an idea of how responsible you are with your credit since you started.
Your payment history comprises the bulk of what calculates your credit score (35%), so staying on time with your credit card, mortgage, auto or student loan bills is imperative to keep your credit score high. Too many late or non-payments can do the worst damage to your score, since it tells lenders that you’re an irresponsible borrower and credit risk.
An account that’s in collections can severely damage a credit score, since its reached the point that a borrower has given up paying their bills – and now, their lender has asked a collection agency to intervene and get the debt paid. A bankruptcy never has a positive impact on your credit score, but the severity which it affects your numbers depends on your own individual credit profile and situation.
Your marital status does not have an impact on your credit score. When you get married your credit reports will not merge and your credit score will not change. Changing your last name will not erase your credit history and you will not become a joint user on any of your spouse’s financial dealings.
Income does not play a role when it comes to determining your credit score because the credit bureaus that collect data do not collect anything regarding your income. What does matter is how you manage your loans and other activities that play a role on your credit score – which are weighted individually based on importance towards your overall score.
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) the credit bureaus may not discriminate under any factors such as race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. Although they can ask you for most or all of this information in the process of applying for credit they may not use it to determine whether to give you the credit or the terms under which it is given.
| Free Credit Report | Free Credit Score | |
| What is it? | Your credit report is a reference to your records of credit history that you have built up over time. | Your credit score is a risk formula that uses the credit report to determine your creditworthiness. |
| Where can you get it? | You can get your credit report with Credit Sesame for free or at any of the three major credit bureaus. | You can also get your credit score with Credit Sesame for free. |
| What kind of information does it show? |
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| Who uses which? | Lenders may pull your credit report in order to check your credit worthiness in order to approve your for new credit. | Your landlord, cellphone company, or utility company may pull your credit score to check your credit worthiness. |
