FICO Score 

Your credit score no longer just determines if you will get credit.  It determines if you will get the best rates when applying for credit.  It may determine if you get a particular job.  It may increase or decrease what your insurance premiums are and so much more.  Landlords may review the information before renting you an apartment.

Until the recent credit crunch a score of 670 or above usually got you the best rates.  Now lenders are looking for scores of above 740 for the best rates. 

You can obtain your credit report for free at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.  We strongly recommend you review this annually to determine what is on your report, check for accuracy, check for identity theft and make corrections if necessary. 

www.AnnualCreditReport.com  does not provide you with your actual FICO score.  If you want to find out your FICO score you must purchase that.  Each of the three credit agencies has its own FICO Score.  You generally will not know which score a lender is using at the time you are applying for credit.

Do not be fooled by the “free offers”.  Most provide you with a score similar to your FICO Score based on new ratings from the credit agencies.  These are not what most lenders are using.  Do not get fooled into signing up for a credit reporting service that charges you a monthly fee for watching your credit.

You only need to check your FICO score occasionally – it is generally a good idea to do it at least annually and more often if you use credit extensively.

Click here to download an application to request your FICO score from Gerri Harrison Financial Services.  Bring the application and payment of $14.95 to the offices of Gerri Harrison Financial Services to obtain your FICO score.

You will receive your current FICO Score, a detailed analysis of your score, an analysis of whether or not there are any public judgments or liens against you and access to counseling if you need help in increasing your score.