• Discover, Barclaycard and First Bankcard from the First National Bank of Omaha provide free credit scores in monthly statements with their credit card.
• If you have been refused credit (credit cards or loans) or if you get less desirable terms than promised, lenders are required to send your score to you at no cost.
• Get a rough estimate of your score by answering a series of questions about your credit history at http://tinyurl.com/l4ltecn.
• Some websites such as FreeScore.com offer a free score initially but will charge fees after an initial free period of seven days or more. CreditKarma.com, CreditSesame.com and Quizzle.com offer free scores but they are not from FICO.
• Before taking out a major auto or home loan, you may want to fork over the $20 at MyFico.com for a more definitive score.
• For free help interpreting your credit score, contact the nonprofit LSS Financial Counseling at 888-577-2227 or ConquerYourDebt.org.
John Ewoldt
