You Have 30 Or More Official Credit Scores

Big Loans

If you’re applying for a big loan — like a mortgage, car loan, or business loan — I recommend MyFico.com and spending $59.85 to buy their Score 3B Report. This is especially important if you’ve had credit problems in the past, have been through a divorce, have a common name, or have had any kind of financial trauma.

With the Score 3B Report, you’ll get your base FICO 8 and FICO 9 credit scores from each of the three credit reporting bureaus, as well as the industry-specific score versions used by auto and bankcard lenders. Mortgage lenders generally use the Experian FICO 2 scoring model, the TransUnion FICO 4 and the Equifax FICO 5 to create a score called the "tri-merge", which you’ll also see on your Score 3B report.

Another good thing about pulling your own scores ahead of time is that you can address errors and surprises. The last thing you want is to be close to signing contracts on a house and have something unexpected surface that could jeopardize your loan.