Free credit score. And so much more.

Easily check your credit score and credit report — and discover how to take it higher with tips, tools and Nerdy insights tailored to you.

Free credit score — get more than a free credit check with NerdWallet.

Keep an eye on your score

See the most important details of your credit score and TransUnion credit report, all in one place.

Know when and why it changes

We’ll let you know when there’s something new — so you can manage your credit effectively.

Get personalized insights

Stay on top of your score with tips and alerts tailored to you.

See your credit score history

Our easy-to-read chart lets you see how your credit score changes over time.

Stay on top of your money

Manage your spending and saving so you can pay bills on time, tackle your debt and grow your score.

Know your net worth

Easily see your grand total. We tally up your lines of credit so you can see what you have and what you owe.

Is my free credit score really free?

Yes! You can sign in to NerdWallet at any time to see your free credit score, your free credit report information — and much more. Monitor your cash flow, view your net worth, track your debt and see upcoming payments, all on one convenient dashboard.

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What is my credit score — and why does it matter?

Your credit score is a number lenders and credit card issuers use to help them decide whether to approve your credit application. The higher your score, the better your chances.

With a low score, you may still be able to get credit, but it may come with higher interest rates or require a co-signer or security deposit. You also may have to pay more for car insurance or put down deposits on utilities. Landlords might use your score to decide whether they want you as a tenant.

But as you add points to your score, you'll gain access to more credit products — and pay less to use them. Borrowers with scores above 750 or so (on a typical 300-850 scale) have many options, including the potential to qualify for 0% financing on cars and credit cards with 0% introductory interest rates.

What can I do with my credit?

When your credit is strong, you have a better chance at qualifying for credit cards and loans and getting the best interest rates. Good credit also can save you money. You may qualify for better cell phone deals, pay smaller (or no) utility deposits and pay less for insurance, for example. And some employers and landlords consider credit as well.

How are credit scores and credit reports different? What are the three credit bureaus?

Your credit reports are a record of how you’ve used credit in the past. Credit scores, in turn, interpret the information in your credit reports to estimate the likelihood that you will repay borrowed money. Information about your credit is collected by the three major credit bureaus, Equifax®, Experian® and TransUnion®, as well as some smaller companies. It’s important to check your reports for accuracy so errors aren’t hurting your credit scores.

What is a good credit score? What are the credit score ranges?


Excellent credit: 720 and higher

Good credit: 690-719

Fair credit: 630-689

Bad credit: 629 or lower

How can I check my credit score? How often does my credit score change?

When you sign up for a NerdWallet account, you get your free credit score and free credit report, updated weekly. NerdWallet provides your VantageScore 3.0® using data provided by the TransUnion credit reporting bureau.

Credit scores change frequently as data is added to your credit reports. Checking frequently lets you see your progress or spot problems right away.

How can I build my credit score?

The two biggest factors in your credit score are paying on time and managing how much of your credit limits you're using. That’s why they come first in this list of tips:

Pay all your bills, not just credit cards, on time. Late payments and accounts charged off or sent to collections will hurt your score.

Use no more than 30% of your credit limit on any card — less, if possible. The best scores go to people using 10% or less of their credit limits.

Keep accounts open and active when possible — that gives you a longer payment history and can help your "credit utilization," or how much of your limits you're using.

Avoid opening too many new accounts at once. New accounts lower your average account age and each application causes a small ding to your score. We recommend spacing credit applications about 6 months apart.

Check your credit reports and dispute errors.

What goes into my free credit score — and what doesn't?

When you or a lender "check your credit," a scoring model from either FICO® or VantageScore® is applied to the current data in one of your credit reports. Your score will vary, depending on which FICO® or VantageScore® version was used and whether it looked at your credit report from Experian®, Equifax® or TransUnion®. Your credit score can vary month to month or day to day as new data get sent to your credit reports.

NerdWallet uses VantageScore® 3.0 and your TransUnion® credit report data. Most lending decisions are made using the FICO® model. If you have a good VantageScore®, you may also have a good FICO® score — and both will respond to the same basic rules for managing your credit score. That's because they consider similar factors, with some differences in how they weight them:

Payment history: your record of on-time payments and any negative marks, such as missed payments, accounts sent to collections or bankruptcies.


Age of credit history: how long you've been using credit.

Applications: how frequently you've applied for credit recently.



What can hurt my credit score?

Paying late or running up higher-than-normal credit card balances can hurt your credit score. It takes longer to recover from a late payment, which can stay on your credit reports for up to seven years. But the damage from a high balance disappears after you’ve brought the balance down.

Other negative marks on your credit reports can come from defaulting on an account (not paying as agreed), being sent to collections, having a repossession or foreclosure, or filing for bankruptcy.


FAQ about your free credit score

How does NerdWallet get my free credit score?


Is it safe to check my credit for free?

Yes, it’s not only safe — it helps you safeguard your credit by watching for signs of identity theft or fraudulent activity on your accounts.

Does checking my credit score hurt my credit?

No. When you check your own credit, it doesn’t affect your credit score. It’s considered a “soft inquiry” or “soft pull” and doesn’t ding your score. That’s different from a “hard inquiry,” which happens when you apply for credit. Those can knock a few points off your score temporarily.