After reading the last chapter (Part III) 33 Ways to Optimize Your Credit Now, you may have realized that you have already damaged your credit in some way. This section of this guide is devoted to teaching you how to rapidly and ethically improve your score so that your three-digit number is one more attractive to lenders.

Of course, the first step to improving your score is to procure a copy off your FICO scores.

You need to make sure that you are getting a real FICO or NextGen score. Keep in mind that the credit bureaus sometimes market scores to consumers that aren't based on the FICO formulae - which is the score typically used by lenders.  The bureaus will tell you that these scores are good indication of a consumer's credit worthiness but the results differ from the FICO numbers that are examined by the lenders.

By law you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of three major credit bureaus. Don't ask for a credit report. Ask directly for your FICO scores.

As mentioned in the last chapter the FICO scores are referred to by different names depending on which credit bureau you call.

• Equifax and Equifax Canada call their credit scores Beacon\
• Experian calls its credit scores Experian or Fair Isaac Risk Model
• Transunion and Transunion Canada calls their credit scores Empirica

Be careful not to be misled by the promise of free access to your credit score. Typically those offers require that you sign up for credit monitoring or other services that are no free. M

Make sure you read the fine print before you order this type of credit score.  Always remember too that the real intention of these companies is to gather your email address and other important information about you that can be sold to other companies.

Also keep in mind that each time one of these commercial companies offers to find your credit score that they leave a hard inquiry style negative comment on your record.

One reputable place to get your scores is MyFICO.com. MyFICO.com is a joint venture between Equifax and Fair Isaac. On this site you can get your credit scores from each of three bureaus for about $39. An individual report from each company costs about $12.95.

If you don't have a computer or Internet access, you can get FICO scores based on Transunion credit files through a company called Intersection at 1-800-695-7536.

You can also order your reports separately or online from the big three credit bureaus.

Equifax Information Services LLC
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374

All correspondence to Equifax must include:

• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Current street address, city, state , zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Proof of your current address (in the form of a drier's license or utility bill.)

• Phone number

• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Equifax

All correspondence to Experian must include:

• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Spouse's full name and social security number
• Current street address, city, state, zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Two proofs of your current address (in the form of a driver's license or utility bill.)\
• Phone number
• Signature
• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Experian

All correspondence to Transunion must include:

• Full name (including Jr., Sr. and other titles)
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Spouse's full name and social security number
• Current street address, city, state, zip code
• Previous addresses in past 5 years
• Two proofs of your current address (in the form of a driver's license or utility bill.) Information about current employer
• Phone number
• Signature
• Check or money order for the applicable fee payable to Experian

The reason that the different credit bureaus ask for so much information about you is that they have to verify who you are to prevent identity theft.

If by some chance you are charged for your obtaining your credit scores here is a letter than you can use to protest the injustice and get a refund.