CreditKarma.com Offers Free Credit Check

The internet is littered with "free credit score offers," but most of them require you to enter your credit card number for a trial subscription to a credit monitoring service. If you forget to cancel your free trial (the way most people do) your credit card will be charged a fee. Kenneth Lin, founder, and CEO of Credit Karma is a firm believer that you should have access to your credit score absolutely free—without a credit card or tricky subscription cancellations.

CreditKarma.com's Free Credit Score and Credit Report

CreditKarma.com allows you to get a free credit score and credit report with absolutely no obligation. You don’t have to enter a credit card number or subscribe to a credit monitoring service. The credit score and credit report are absolutely free (the site makes money through advertisements). I've used it for several years and have never paid anything to view my credit.

If you’re new to Credit Karma, you can sign up to receive a free credit score in less than two minutes. After you’ve signed up, you can continue to view your credit report and credit score for free every day. Your credit score is refreshed daily and your credit report is refreshed weekly.

The one drawback to Credit Karma's free score is that it's not a FICO score, the one most widely used by lenders. Even though it’s not your FICO score, it gives you a picture of your credit standing based on your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports. The only thing that's missing is your Experian credit report (you view your Experian credit report and score for free through CreditSesame.com). Since 2008, Credit Karma has expanded its services to include free daily credit monitoring, a VantageScore, and an Auto Insurance Score. All those services are free.