Credit Scores

Know the score

You hear about credit scores all the time. But do you know what your score is? You should, because it can affect your employment, how much you pay for insurance and the interest rate on your loans.

Credit scores are the numbers that most lenders use to determine whether to loan you money. Your credit score is determined by the three credit reporting agencies - Experian, TransUnion and Equifax - based on the amount of credit you have, your payment habits, the length of your credit history and other factors. Your score, listed on a credit report, will differ slightly between the agencies based on the way each calculates scores.

By law, you can receive a free copy of your credit report once a year. By monitoring your report, you can detect fraud and correct errors in a timely manner. Obtain your free credit report from all three agencies at annualcreditreport.com.

To learn more about credit scores, visit:

FirstGov for Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission
The Indiana Department of Financial Institutions Credit Information