They really are free, but you still need a credit card to get them </p> <p> How to get a free FICO credit score, the one used by mortgage lenders, on a trial basis. Cancel before the end of 30 days and there is no charge.

If you think that you have only three FICO scores, guess again. </p> <p> Deployment and differences of the various Classic FICO score versions and models. Who decides which versions are used.

How credit checks within a particular time period affect the score </p> <p> Statement differs from Fair Isaac message.

Experian and Equifax reply </p> <p> Same as TransUnion and Choicepoint: No scores.

Reports vary </p> <p> Big voices saying different things make it hard to know what to believe.

Won't be fooled again by Experian </p> <p> Another big media outlet falls for Experian's PLUS score (average 678; 692) snow job, but sets the record straight.

Equifax/Experian/TransUnion troika celebrates the first two years, down at the courthouse </p> <p> U.S. District judge denies the three blind mice's dismissal request.

"Downward spiral" vs. "Vicious cycle" </p> <p> There is important work to be done. Unfortunately, you won't, but won't find it at the United States credit score entry at Wikipedia. Even so, the search engines take you right to it.

Pricing based on FICO score and equity </p> <p> Amid the mortgage rubble, Tweedledum fires off new prices, now more closely tied to the FICO score.

New York Times falls for Experian's fake credit score. </p> <p> Confuses it with FICO and ends up misleading consumers.

Fair Isaac's 2008 version of its broad-based credit bureau risk score model </p> <p> Index and timeline.

Unreliable </p> <p> MSN Live Search top ten results score an F.

Unreliable </p> <p> Yahoo!'s top ten results score an F.

Unreliable </p> <p> Google's top ten results score an F.

Day 36, 11/5/07 </p> <p> In credit scoring, don't believe anything until you (finally) see it.

A byzantine, ambiguous, confusing process brought to you by the credit bureau oligopoly. But, just remember this: Get the FICO. </p> <p> Consumers are bombarded with come-ons from hucksters all over the internet and television, and the sure-fire ways to get a meaningful credit score are less than obvious.

Two errors in one sentence </p> <p> There for over a year.

Asking them to stop </p> <p> A Dow Jones MarketWatch writer suggested having lenders lie to the credit bureaus. creditscoring.com posted a comment on the story page asking the author to remove the suggestion.

Wikipedia's errors regarding credit scores </p> <p> Rumor and myth, track and kill.

Anarchy, and media's unethical suggestion to usurp the credit reporting system. </p> <p> Stand by for sleaze.

Add accounts, build your credit report history, and improve your credit score (increase your savings, too).

Scary

Others who bought into the 678 rumor

Baltimore Sun columnist pops the housing bubble media hype bubble

How the mortgage loan industry uses FICO scores

Straight from the horse's mouth: It's not 678

The direct approach to changing the media culture

September 07 mystery solved

Recommends asking your lender to lie to the credit bureaus

Pseudo-encyclopedia blows it again

Stops conniving limits reporting practice

Trail of a rumor </p> <p> Consumer group/bank commission survey to make headlines. Create inaccurate press release. Major daily parrots press release. Inaccuracy spreads through syndication. creditscoring.com tries to save the world from itself. </p> <p> To: news@readingeagle.com, letters@readingeagle.com, wflippin@readingeagle.com, LetterToEditor@buffnews.com, letters@sunherald.com, news@wsjournal.com, news@journalnow.com...

FTC releases information about race/score.

Failed to make a full disclosure. Equifax has a casual relationship with compliance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

It was a long, hot, summer. In 1997, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax just didn't want to hear about giving consumers their credit scores.

Ironic headline: "CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING OF CREDIT SCORES REMAINS POOR"

The information explosion isn't always a good thing. Here's the Myth page.

Misguided practitioner gets away with suggesting the pathetic begging "good faith adjustment" bit. The dorky goodwill ruse.

Authorized user; seasoned tradelines; piggyback; riding on the coattails of somebody else's credit history. Tune in for the fireworks.

Get a website. Write a bunch of stuff.

"Sites Offering ‘Free’ Credit Reports: Worth Consumer Consideration?"

Reporter's revelation: "A report is not a score."

"And less than 5% of our book has a FICO score below 620."

New section debuts at The Credit Scoring Site. Experian doesn't know its left hand from its right from its other left. Anecdotes, antidotes and mairzy doats.

"Credit-score revamp won't halt mortgage fraud, experts say" </p> <p> Ah, The Experts... eek. This is what is has come to in America, and it is pathetic and sick. He suggests that you beg to create a history that never was.

Christian Science Monitor story: "Simple ways to raise your credit score" </p> <p> Monitor wins a permanent spot in the Funwith Numbers hall of fame. Misinformation.

Highlights

Just another day at the office of secrets in Atlanta </p> <p> If the inquiry is coded wrong, and you don't know it, you lose.

GIGO/FICO </p> <p> Video. Text. Press reports.

Now the exciting buzz is on collateral damage </p> <p> Trade association guy wants spoiled-brat preferential treatment to continue. The house-wifey-dependent relationship (apparently, many still not liberated). El experto del mundo. G-Men.

Adverse action notices not always required </p> <p> Risk-based pricing is a grey area. SCOTUS decides Geico General Insurance vs. Edo, and Safeco Insurance Company Of America vs Spano, Burr and Massey. Caveat emptor.

Joins others in the underbanked segment </p> <p> TransUnion coopts the score casually named Link2Credit from L2C, Inc. L2C is located in Atlanta, the home of TransUnion rival (and leg of oligopoly of three) Equifax.

Second-fiddle Experian complains about FICO getting all the attention </p> <p> "In light of this loophole and the potential threat it poses to lenders, a decision was made during the development of VantageScore to... "

Announcement of an announcement from Fair Isaac </p> <p> AP reports Fair Isaac will remove the authorized user effect on FICO scores. That stops the cottage industry recently created by the loophole, but it also kills the false sense of security for others who have depended on it (using their relatives' histories).