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Credit Report & Score Services
Compare and review all credit reports and score services.


Credit Comparisons & Reviews

Services: Our Ratings: Bottom Line:
Identity Guard Rating:
 Most comprehensive service w/ tons of features; free 30-day trial
CreditCheck Total Rating:
 Unlimited reports & scores from all 3 bureaus, free 7-day trial
Equifax with Score Power Rating:
 Free FICO score & 3-in-1 credit report plus 3-bureau monitoring; Great overall value
FreeCreditReport.com Rating:
 Free Experian credit report and score plus cheapest 3-bureau monitoring solution
True Credit 3 Bureau Rating:
 Same great service as Privacy Matters but no free trial & $5 less
myFICO Rating:
 Best way to monitor your FICO score but otherwise limited
Equifax Rating:
 Cheapest way to monitor all 3 bureaus but no credit score info
TransUnion Rating:
 Cheapest way to get unlimited reports & scores but only monitors 1 bureau

NextAdvisor Credit Report Blog Headlines

Reader Question: What service is best for protecting my identity and monitori...
Q: I would like to monitor my credit and make sure my identity is protected as well. Which service is best for me? A: If you want to protect your identity and get access to your credit report and score, then Identity Guard is likely the best service for you. There are two types of identity [...]

Data Breach Alert: 2,000 investment firm clients, including Supreme Court Jus...
Just over six months ago, an employee of a McLean investment firm inadvertently exposed private company files while using LimeWire. This breach exposed the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of about 2,000 of the firm’s clients, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer and a number of high-powered lawyers. The breach was [...]

A foreclosure on your credit report can make renting an apartment nearly impo...
As foreclosures rise, former homeowners with blemished mortgage histories are flooding the rental market. Unfortunately, landlords are often hesitant to rent to applicants whose credit reports show a history foreclosures, short sales (when a house is sold for less than the amount owed on the mortgage) or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (when a homeowner gives up [...]

Lost laptop computers may cost you more than you realize
The recent Ponemon Institute survey, commissioned by Dell, sheds light on just how many laptops are lost or stolen at U.S. airports. At 36 major airports, lost laptops total more than 10,000 a week. When smaller airports are taken into account as well, the total number of lost laptops rises to 637,000 a year. Laptops [...]

The U.S. government contradicts its own advice about Social Security numbers
The Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration warn, “Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check.” But at least 44 million Medicare insurance cards include the beneficiary’s full Social Security number. Charlene Frizzera, chief operating officer of the nation’s [...]

How to read, analyze and dispute your Equifax credit report
Equifax is one of the three major credit reporting bureaus in the United States. In this guide we are going to walk through a sample version of Equifax’s online credit report with FICO score. If you don’t already have your Equifax credit report you can get instant online access to an Equifax or three bureau credit [...]

Reader Question: How do I set a fraud alert on my credit report?
Q: I recently lost my wallet which contained my driver’s license, Social Security card and credit cards. How do I go about putting a fraud alert on my credit report? A: A fraud alert is an annotation on your credit report which lets potential lenders know that you have been, or believe you may have [...]

Reader Question: Will shopping for a mortgage hurt my credit score?
Q: Is it true that shopping around for different mortgage offers will lower my credit score? A: Many people believe that shopping around for mortgages, home loans or auto loans can negatively impact their credit score because it requires authorizing multiple lenders to pull your credit file. This is not necessarily the case according to [...]

Reader Question: Am I entitled to a free credit report each year?
Q: As a consumer am I not entitled to a free credit report each year? Do have to join a club or pay for it? A: The Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) entitles each and every American consumer to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus including Equifax, [...]

Reader Question: How much do credit report monitoring services cost?
Q: I see that most of the credit reporting monitoring services on your website offer a free trial. How much do they cost after the free trial is over? A: While free trial periods are great to evaluate whether or not a particular credit report monitoring service is a fit for your life, [...]


Did you know?

Did you know that having bad information on your credit report or a low credit score may be costing you literally thousands of dollars a year in higher payments? Did you know that your credit report and score can determine whether you can get anything from a mortgage to an apartment to a job or even a cell phone? Did you know that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. and that you can guard against it by monitoring your credit report? You need to know what is on your credit report and what your credit score is.

How Does It Work?

Credit monitoring services constantly monitor your credit report for any changes and send you an email alert whenever a change occurs. Most also give you free credit scores and free credit reports plus explanations of what factors are helping or hurting your creditworthiness.

View all credit monitoring services.


Free Trials

Many of our recommended services offer free trials. If you're not sure you want to subscribe to a service or just want to check out your credit report and score for free, then try a service with a free trial and simply cancel within the trial period if you don't want the service and you will pay nothing.

View all services, including those with a free trial and free credit report & score.