Here’s How Often You Should Check Your Credit Score

How often you should check your credit score depends on your needs and goals, but there are many reasons to peek at it often. You can monitor the three-digit number, which gives lenders an idea of how large a risk you pose as a borrower, as frequently or as seldom as you like. However, you can’t check it too often, and we definitely recommend erring on the side of looking at it more than you need to rather than less. Aim for at least once a month.

Since your credit score impacts your ability to borrow money and at what rates and terms, it makes sense to establish best practices for how often you should check your score.

Why you should check your credit score

There are several reasons why you should check your credit score. This score distills a lot of the information from your credit report into a number, so checking it can give you an idea of where you stand credit-wise. Simply put, it’s a snapshot of how responsible you are as a borrower and how much risk you pose to lenders. Seeing your current credit position as a lender would can help you plan when to apply for a mortgage, auto loan, new credit card, and more.

If you want to get the best rates, you’ll need to open new accounts when your credit score is high. And if you’re working on repairing your credit, looking at your score regularly can show you your progress.

How often should you check your credit score?

There’s no such thing as checking your credit score too often, and the myth that looking at your score can hurt your credit isn’t true (since this uses a soft pull rather than a hard pull). In general, we recommend checking your score around once a month. This is how often credit scores are typically updated, at a minimum, since this is about how frequently the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — update consumer credit reports.

However, your score can also fluctuate more often than this. If there are a lot of changes to your credit report in a short time, for example, you might see your score change a few times a month.

If you anticipate needing financing soon or are actively working on rebuilding your credit after some mishaps, check it more frequently. If you’re comfortable with your credit and not making any major changes, you can stick with once a month or even stretch it out to once every three months.

How often should you check your credit report?

Checking your credit score is not the same as checking your credit report. Your credit report is a detailed, written history outlining your debt and how well you’ve managed to repay it, provided by the three major credit bureaus. It’s important to review your credit report with all three bureaus at least once a year. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report annually and can get it at AnnualCreditReport.

When checking, dispute any errors or incorrect information you find in your report with the reporting bureau as soon as you spot them.

How to check your credit score

Checking your credit score is easy and quick. Here are a few ways to get it:

• Log into your credit card account. You will likely see your credit score in a monthly statement or in your account portal. Most of the time, you don’t have to go digging — it’s on the homepage. For instance, my Capital One account offers CreditWise, a built-in tool showing my VantageScore credit score. My Citi dashboard shows my FICO score, which typically updates monthly.
• Sign up for a credit score service. Tools and services like Credit Karma offer anyone with an account free access to their scores. You should avoid paying for a service just to access your credit score.
• Check with the credit bureaus. Experian and Equifax allow you to see your score for free. You usually have to create free accounts if you choose this option.

Best times to check your credit score

While you should keep a regular eye on your score, you should definitely check your credit score in any of the following situations:

• Before you apply for a new financial product, like a credit card, mortgage, or auto loan
• When you're recovering from credit damage
• If you’re notified that your information was compromised in a data breach
• If your information or wallet gets stolen
• When you open or close a credit or loan account

How to raise your credit score

If you’ve checked your credit score and it’s lower than you’d like, you can do a few things to increase it:

• Focus on making on-time payments.
• Pay off account balances.
• Keep older accounts open.
• Avoid applying for new forms of credit.
• Dispute incorrect information on your report.
• Become an authorized user on someone else’s account.

You won’t raise your credit score overnight, but you can work on establishing a positive credit history over time by being responsible with your credit.

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