While most consumers must be well aware of the fact that U.S. government entitles every U.S. citizen to get a 3-bureau free credit report every year at AnnualCreditReport.com, but free credit score is not a part of these reports. Now the cause of botheration is, many people do not know how to read a credit report well. So, credit score is the only way they analyze their financial standing.

Now if you are one of these people who want to know how to get a free credit score, be clear that there isn’t any absolute answer for this. The only way to get a credit score is to request for credit reports privately from the 3 bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These are the reports that contain your credit scores. Usually, you have to take a subscription to receive these credit reports every month, which is good because it helps you keep an eye on any discrepancies and also avoid identity theft.

If you are skeptical that ordering privately for your reports is a good idea or not, you can first try out the free trial offers that most private companies make available for a few days. During this time, you can access your free credit scores and free credit reports for free. Yes, this is the only time when you can actually get a free credit score. But do not let this fool you, as your card will be charged for the monthly fee as soon as the free trial offer ends. So, it is important to understand that you must cancel the subscription within the stipulated time of the trial offer if you do not want to be charged for it. You may keep the credit scores and reports of the month to yourself, without paying a dime.

However, considering the minimal subscription fee and the great additional services provided by these private companies, like id theft protection and insurance, credit monitoring, monthly updated scores and reports, credit tips and others, it is a good idea to stay enrolled for these reports and free credit scores.

Although you can check your credit report yearly for free, your credit score is all that lenders and employers take into consideration while assessing your financial position. Hence, you must try to see your situation from their perspective. It is your responsibility to have a good credit score. You may be doing everything right but identity theft or too many errors in your credit reports may be spoiling your credit score for years to come. You are the one who is going to suffer for having a poor credit score. Hence, it is always a good idea to stay alert and proactive with monthly subscription of these reports.

Eru Chawla is a regular article contributor for various finance-related websites and magazines. She loves writing on topics, like free credit score, forex trading, personal finance, and others.