Monitoring your own credit score can help you head off financial issues before they become worrisome woes. Plus, it keeps you in the know about your own credit, reducing the risk of unpleasant surprises when you apply for loans or other services.

There are a lot of free options for monitoring
your credit—for example, Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card shares
your Experian credit score and personalized credit tips and offers. Credit.com
also provides an offer from ScoreSense on our site, for a free seven-day trial
in their comprehensive three-bureau product. Find out why you need to monitor
your credit and how ScoreSense® can help you do it.

Why Should You Know Your Credit Score?

Many people know they should check their credit
before applying for a loan. That lets them know what options they might qualify
for and if they need to attend to any outstanding issues before seeking credit.

But why wait until you need a good credit score to make sure you have one? Monitoring your
credit on a regular basis helps you make smart
money decisions that have a positive impact on your credit.
And good credit can help with many things in life:

• Get approved for the most affordable loans and lines of credit.
• Get approved for credit cards with some of the best perks, such as 0% introductory APR offers and travel rewards.
• Secure car insurance and other services, as many providers use credit history as a factor in approving you.
• Land a job, especially one that involves financial responsibility, as some employers include credit checks in their hiring processes.

What Is ScoreSense?

ScoreSense is a membership-based credit-monitoring
product that provides you with your credit scores and credit reports from all
three credit bureaus, daily monitoring and credit alerts, and tools to help you
make sense of your scores.

Does ScoreSense Provide Accurate Scores?

With ScoreSense, you see the credit scores that
are being reported by each of the three credit
bureaus. Remember
that you actually have multiple credit
scores and that they are always changing. The score
you see today won't necessarily match the score a lender sees or the credit
score you see next month, as new information reported by lenders and other
factors can change your scores.

Your score is also only as accurate as the information in your credit report. If you check your score and feel that it isn't right, look carefully at your credit report. There may be an incorrect item reported to the bureau that is bringing your score down. You have a right to dispute that item, and the credit bureau must investigate and correct the item if the lender doesn't provide documentation to substantiate it.

What Are the Benefits of ScoreSense?

Many options for getting your credit scores
exist. In fact, you can get your scores for free via some services online, and
you are legally allowed one free
credit report from each credit bureau every year.

But paying for a product like ScoreSense has some benefits that free credit reports don't.

• Your credit reports and scores from all three major bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Many credit score providers offer only one or two scores.
• Monthly updates to your credit reports. When you request your free annual credit reports, you get the information only once. If anything changes on your credit report in the next year, you might not know about it. ScoreSense offers regular updates.
• The peace of mind that comes from knowing someone is watching your credit report on a daily basis. ScoreSense's automated system keeps tabs on changes to your credit report and helps identify potential fraud or issues that might impact your credit scores and access to credit or services.
• Credit alerts notify you of important changes or suspicious activity on your report so you can take action to dispute them if necessary.
• Credit specialists, who you can call or chat with online if you have any questions or concerns about your reports or scores. This can help demystify some of the more complex items on your report and help you gain an in-depth understanding of what impacts your credit scores.

How Much Is ScoreSense a Month?

You can try ScoreSense for free for seven days.
After the trial period, you're charged $29.95 per month. Since you provide your
payment details at the time you sign up for the trial period, the paid
membership starts automatically unless you cancel it. That means after seven
days, your credit card or bank account will be billed.

How Do I Cancel My ScoreSense Account?

You can cancel your ScoreSense account at any
time, including before your trial period ends, before you're billed for the
first month of service. Cancel the account by chatting with a ScoreSense
representative online or by calling 1-800-972-7204.

Other Options for Credit Monitoring

You can monitor your credit through a wide range of services and apps. When choosing a service that's right for you, consider how you want to interact with the information and what type of additional support you might need.