Oct. 1, 2008 - Find your FICO score-free

Equifax offers free report

It has become more important than ever to know your FICO score as well as checking your credit reports with the three major agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. 

According to the site, Equifax is offering a free FICO report to the first 10,000 applicants*.  FICO scores are used by lenders to make fast credit risk decisions of how likely consumers will pay their credit obligations.  Generally the higher the score, the less risk the person represents. 

With the tightening credit market, borrowers will likely need a score of 700 and above for a home mortgage loan.  The lender will make the final decision considering additional factors such as your employment history, salary and debt-to income ratio. 

Again, the offer is free, without obligation.  However, you may opt for upgrades for various monthly fees.  I obtained mine, choosing to accept only the free offer.  Regardless, no credit card is required.  Get your free FICO score here.

Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com to get your free credit report.  You may choose to receive all three annual reports together or apply for each separately at 4-month intervals.  The later option will allow you to monitor your credit for unusual activity over the course of the year.

* Per the site, 10,000 applicants have been reached and the free offer is no longer available -10/4.