Credit.com Credit Report Card Review

If you're like most consumers, you have a tough time understanding what your credit report means. Seeing the information is one thing, interpreting its effect is another. Credit.com's free Credit Report Card was introduced to solve that problem.

Initially, I was skeptical. A lot of sites claim to give you this kind of analysis, but do a poor job of it. As I entered my information into the Credit.com's form, I wondered how exactly they would benefit from having my social security number. I felt more comfortable once Credit.com prompted me to confirm information from my credit report that only I would know - a step most credit bureaus now include to ensure the consumer requesting the information is actually the consumer who "owns" the information.

Once I saw the Credit.com Credit Report Card, my initial skepticism quickly faded. On first glance, the report card is easy to understand. I was given my overall credit standing along with five grades, one for each of the credit score elements - payment history, level of debt, age of credit, mix of credit, and number of inquiries. A summary of the grade was included.

The Credit.com Credit Report Card goes on to explain, in detail, the reason for each grade and what I could do to improve that grade. Each graded section then includes links to articles that would help me take action to raise the grade.

Not surprisingly, you won't find your exact credit score or specific credit report details in the Credit Report Card. If you want that information, you'll have to order it separately. The absence of that specific information doesn't devaluate the tool.

I got some of the same advice in multiple categories. In three different sections, I was told not to close old, good accounts because it could hurt my credit score. Did Credit.com run out of things to say?

It isn't obvious from where Credit.com's Credit Report Card gets its information. After some scrolling, I saw it was from TransUnion.

Since the grade doesn't reference specific accounts in the credit report, it might be hard for some consumers to take action against the advice given. I wouldn't, however, expect that kind of specialized analysis to be given for free.

Trying to figure out what's hurting your credit score is tough. Not only does the Credit Report Card analyze the information for you, it gives you the result in a way that's easy to understand. I highly recommend Credit.com's Credit Report Card for consumers who want to better understand their credit report information.