Visit myfico.com to find out. The basic report costs $12.95 and you can download a free digital booklet, ‘Understanding Your Credit Score,’ with tips on improving it. Most people think their rating is higher than it actually is – I did – and are surprised at some of the reasons their score is lower than they expected (e.g., too much available credit, even if it is unused).
Your score can matter. The average rate charged on a 30-year fixed home mortgage recently was 5.16% for someone with a top-bracket FICO score, versus 5.82% for someone just a couple of notches down – an extra $15,000 in interest over the life of the loan. For someone one FICO rung from the bottom, the average rate was 8.53%. Ouch!
‘If this is class warfare, then my class is winning.’
– Warren Buffett
