Understand. Explore. Compare. Move forward.
Straight answers about how credit works, plus the free, official resources that help you protect and improve it.
KNOW
EXPLORE
COMPARE
MOVE FORWARD
Drag to any score on the FICO range, 300 to 850, and see where it lands.
Most lenders will approve you, with rates near average. Keeping utilization low can push you into the next tier.
Your financial history, compiled by the three major bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
A three-digit number, usually 300 to 850, that sums up your report so lenders can judge risk quickly.
Five factors, weighted like this. Two of them make up nearly two-thirds of your score.
Your track record of paying bills on time. The single biggest factor.
How much of your available revolving credit you’re using right now.
The average age of your open accounts and the age of your oldest one.
A healthy variety of revolving accounts and installment loans, like auto loans and mortgages.
How often you apply for credit. Each lender pull is a hard inquiry.
Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry. It never hurts your score.
Information you can rely on.
Simplifying what matters.
Tools for real progress.
A brighter financial future.
Free tools from the CFPB, the FTC and trusted nonprofits. No fees, no sign-up traps, no credit repair company in the middle.
Step-by-step instructions and sample letters for disputing errors with the bureaus and with the company that reported them.
Dispute went nowhere? File a complaint against a bureau, bank or lender and get a response on record.
Five free templates: I don’t owe this debt, I need more information, stop contacting me, contact my lawyer, and here’s how to contact me.
Act fast. Some of your rights depend on responding within 30 days of a collector’s first contact. Keep copies and send by certified mail.
Report identity theft to the FTC and get a personal recovery plan, with pre-filled letters for businesses, collectors and the bureaus.
Stop pre-approved credit offers in your mailbox for five years or for good. It has no effect on your score. By phone: 1-888-567-8688
Connect with a nonprofit, certified credit counselor for a confidential review of your debt, budget and next steps. By phone: 800-388-2227
Skip anyone who charges up front to “fix” your credit. Nobody can legally remove accurate information from your report, and everything a credit repair company does, you can do yourself with the tools above.
Start here before paying anyone for anything. These are the government sources.
A credit freeze blocks new lenders from pulling your report. If someone steals your identity, they can’t open a card, loan or account in your name, because no lender will approve credit it can’t check.
Each bureau keeps its own report, so a freeze at one doesn’t cover the others. Do all three.
Shopping for a car or home? Lift your freezes a day before you apply. A frozen report can stall an approval at the desk. Refreeze once the loan is done.