Free Credit Score Resources – How To Live Poor

Tracking your credit doesn’t have to cost a dime. But with so many services trying to upsell or bait you into paid tools, it’s important to know what’s truly free and what’s not.

What’s Actually Free—and What’s a Gimmick

Truly Free = No credit card needed, no trial, no hidden fees.
Gimmick = Offers a “free” score but hides the real one behind a paywall or signs you up for a trial.

What You Can Access for Free

Service	Score Type	Reports Offered	Frequency	Upsell Pressure
Credit Karma	VantageScore	TransUnion & Equifax	Daily/Weekly	Moderate
Credit Sesame	VantageScore	TransUnion	Monthly	High
Experian Free Account	FICO Score 8	Experian only	Monthly	High
Discover Credit Scorecard	FICO Score 8	No report	Monthly	None
AnnualCreditReport.com	No score	All 3 reports	Weekly (free until Dec 2025)	None

👉Tool Review: Credit Karma

Tips for Tracking Without Paying

Rotate free sites: Get a snapshot of your credit every few weeks by checking different services.
Use spreadsheets or trackers to record your score history and account changes.
Don’t pay for credit monitoring—use free alerts for account changes or score dips.

Common Traps to Avoid

“Free trial” monitoring tools that bill you after 7 or 30 days.
Apps that offer “boosts” or “simulators” but collect too much personal data.
Overemphasis on VantageScore when lenders mostly use FICO.

Perfect! Here’s how we can expand the post to include those points:

What to Look for in Your Credit Report

Once you’ve accessed your credit report using the resources listed above, here’s what to scan for:

✅ Personal Information

Make sure your name, address, and social security number are correct. Old addresses are okay, but watch for ones you don’t recognize.

✅ Open and Closed Accounts

Review every credit card, loan, and account. Ask yourself:

Did I open this?
Is the balance and status correct?
Is anything listed as late that shouldn’t be?

✅ Hard Inquiries

These are credit checks from lenders. You should recognize them—too many in a short time can hurt your score.

✅ Collections and Charge-Offs

Look closely at anything in collections. Make sure it’s not a duplicate or something you already paid off.

✅ Fraud or Identity Theft

If something looks off and you know you didn’t authorize it—report it right away.

TIP: Use a highlighter or our printable worksheet to mark anything suspicious or incorrect.

What’s Coming Next: How to Raise Your Credit Score (Even When You’re Broke)

In an upcoming post, we’ll break down exactly how to raise your credit score—even if you can’t pay everything off at once. Topics will include:

Which balances to pay first
What to do if you’ve missed payments
The truth about credit utilization
Smart use of secured credit cards and credit-builder loans
When (and how) to ask for goodwill adjustments or disputes

Bottom Line

You don’t need to pay to keep tabs on your credit. Use the right tools, skip the gimmicks, and stay alert.

printable version of chart and a basic fillable tracker layout for recording scores from multiple sites