When it comes to learning about your credit score, you’ll often see two different scores that will pop up - your FICO score and your VantageScore.
Both of these credit scoring companies are used to predict whether you’re risky or a safe bet when it comes to getting loans, credit cards, credit increases, etc.
But why use two different companies?
And why are the credit scores they come up with so different?
Let’s look at what makes these two scores different.
FICO vs VantageScore Credit Scores
Let’s talk about your FICO score first. What is a FICO score?
Created by the Fair Issac Corporation (FICO), this score is used to assess credit risk. This is actually the more important score because banks use it to determine if they should lend to you or not.
What is a VantageScore?
The VantageScore was developed by the three major credit bureaus - TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax - that helps lenders, landlords, and others to determine if they should also offer credit.
Each of these scores range between 300 and 850 and while you can get access to your VantageScore for free, you need to pay to see your FICO score.
How to View Your Credit Score
So how do you actually view your credit score?
Knowing what your credit score is important, so you know what banks and other lenders are looking at whenever you apply for credit.
The easiest way to not only view your credit score, but also your credit history is to get a credit report.
By law, you have free access to your credit file once a year. A great place to receive yours is using AnnualCreditReport.com.
During the coronavirus epidemic, all three credit bureaus offered free weekly access to credit reports, something they are continuing to do so.
If you just want to find your specific FICO score or VantageScore, you can use these particular websites:
CreditKarma.com - you can check your VantageScore for free, which is provided by Equifax and TransUnion
Experian.com - you can check your FICO score for free through Experian’s official website.
IdentityIQ.com - for $29.99/month, you can check your FICO score across all three credit bureaus.
MyFICO.com - as with IdentityIQ, you can pay $29.99/month to check all three credit bureaus. Scores are updated every 3 months.
It’s important to check all three credit bureaus because each bureau will list a different score, even if they’re within a few digits.
I absolutely recommend using MyScoreIQ.com, which costs $34.99 a month to view your FICO score across all three credit bureaus.
While that’s a bit more than IdentityIQ or MyFICO, the difference here is that MyScoreIQ not only provides your FICO score, but it also connects to our credit repair systems.
Maintaining a good credit score is crucial when it comes to being able to gain access to higher credit limits, not to mention being able to apply for various loans.
And there you have it, guys, the difference between your FICO score and your VantageScore. Both of these are important when it comes to knowing your credit score.
I highly recommend that you invest in a credit monitoring service, if you haven’t already, where MyScoreIQ is the best paid service.
If you aren’t able to get a paid service, I recommend setting up a free account with both CreditKarma and Experian, that way you can see your VantageScore across all three bureaus.