In addition, it offers the wonderful Experian Boost tool. Since both are free, both are worth getting. Credit Karma is different from Experian. Unlike Experian, Credit Karma provides credit scores calculated using the VantageScore system instead of the FICO score.
It provides two scores, one based on data from Equifax credit bureaus and the other based on data from TransUnion. Credit Karma is a great alternative for people who want to check their credit score without having a thorough consultation about their credit. While the score may be a little off track at times due to the absence of Experian reports, for the most part, it's accurate. As such, this makes Credit Karma an incredible way to keep track of your credit and allows you to fix any issues before they get worse.
Fortunately, a tool like Credit Karma makes the process of monitoring VantageScore credit scores from Equifax and TransUnion quite straightforward. Credit Karma is a truly free credit score provider, and perhaps the most popular among the hundreds of institutions that offer free scores. The same applies to credit card issuers (FICO Bankcard Score), mortgage lenders, and general credit inquiries. If you want to know your credit score and monitor it so you know when you can buy a home or car, Credit Karma is the way to go.
FICO has developed no fewer than 56 versions of its credit rating, one for each of the three major credit bureaus along with one for each specific industry that uses it. However, it is important that consumers take the time (and nominal cost) to also review their FICO credit ratings from each of the three major credit bureaus from time to time. In Nate's case, Credit Karma was accurate enough to say he had an excellent credit score, but he wasn't perfect. As a matter of full disclosure, I personally use Credit Karma and, although I have found that the service meets my needs, I acknowledge that the choice of credit monitoring services is very personal.
However, we strongly believe that you should never have to pay to access your credit ratings or credit reports. Currently, Credit Karma allows users to view their Equifax VantageScore 3.0 and their TransUnion VantageScore 3.0, not an Experian credit score of any kind. For this reason, CreditWorks Basic only makes sense if you intend to monitor your credit report, rather than your credit ratings. VantageScore is most beneficial to consumers with a short credit history, as its rating model only requires one month of activity and an account reported to credit bureaus to create a rating.
Credit Karma will show updates from TransUnion every 7 days, so if you log into your account once a week, you'll see what your credit score looks like. Credit Karma recommends money-saving credit cards that are likely to be approved for. Credit Karma may not provide your official FICO scores, but VantageScore 3.0 will provide a similar measure of your credit quality. Your score may vary depending on which agency your credit report is extracted from, as not everyone receives the same information about their credit accounts.
