You should demand to get your FICA score as soon as possible. Because this key credit number can determine how much you pay on your house, what your insurance rates are, and even whether you get a job, it is important to know what it is. But, even though you can get free credit reports, in order to access your FICA score, you have to pay a fee.
Thats just wrong.
When Congress authorized the bill to require that the credit bureaus give one free credit report per year, they overlooked a very important number the FICA score.
The individual credit reporting agencies Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union, all use the raw data from the Fair Isaac company to determine a score. But, Fair Isaac puts out the authoritative FICA score, which is what many businesses use to evaluate your credit worthiness. For instance:
Lenders determine whether you get credit and how much you will pay in interest.
Landlords determine whether you qualify to live in their homes or apartments.
Utility companies use the FICA score to decide whether you have to pay a deposit for basic services like water and electricity.
Cell phone companies may not give you a...