Like most people, you probably don’t think about your credit score unless you’re about to apply for a credit card or a loan. Some people have never even had their credit scores checked. It’s all too easy to overlook your credit score, and it’s not one of those numbers that you see every day, like your checking account or credit card balance.
Some believe that checking their credit score will harm their credit. Fortunately, your credit will not be affected if you use a credit scoring service to check your credit score.

Why you should check your credit score regularly

Going without checking your credit score, or only checking it once every few years, is dangerous and can leave you in situations you didn’t prepare for. You should check your credit score regularly if you want to have control over your credit and your financial life. Here are the advantages of performing regular checks.

You know your financial strength

Your credit score is a critical component of your overall financial health. Ignoring your credit score is just as bad as disregarding any other aspect of your physical health. Good or bad, knowing your credit score is preferable to having no idea where your credit stands.

It helps you maintain good credit history

You can’t prepare your credit score in a few days if you have an upcoming application, and building a good credit history takes months, if not years. Monitoring your credit score puts you in control of your credit and makes you more accountable for maintaining a high credit score.

It helps confirm that your credit information is correct

The information in your credit report is reflected in your credit score. Checking your credit score can help you determine whether or not your credit report is accurate. If your credit score is lower than expected, it could indicate that your credit report contains errors that should be reported to the credit bureaus.

Discover activities that influence your credit the most

You can learn how your behaviors affect your credit by monitoring your credit score. You can see how paying off a balance or opening a new credit card will affect your credit. Checking your credit regularly will help you narrow down and easily identify certain activities within a period that affect your financial health.

Real-time finance monitoring

Regularly checking your credit score alerts you to changes in your credit score much sooner. If your credit score falls, you can use the information in your credit report to determine what caused the drop.

Learn when you may be eligible for better credit card offers

As your credit score improves, you have a better chance of being approved for credit cards that offer lower interest rates, rewards, or other perks. Alternatively, you can use a good credit score as a bargaining chip to ask your current credit card issuers to lower your interest rates.

Where can you find your credit score?

You can check your credit score in a variety of ways.
Your bank may provide a credit monitoring service with free updates to one of your credit scores. Find out what services are available from your bank or credit card company. Alternatively, suppose your credit card company participates in the new open-access FICO program. In that case, you’ll receive a free copy of your FICO Score with each statement, along with a list of the top factors influencing your score.
You can also get your credit score from one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, or myFICO.com. Each of these businesses provides a credit monitoring service that you can pay for on a monthly basis.

Conclusion

It is recommended that you review your credit reports at least once a year to keep an eye out for errors and to help reduce your risk of identity theft. However, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at your credit. When problems are identified early on, they can be corrected.