Credit Karma

[walkinwood]

Someone mentioned Credit Karma in a thread on keeping your credit locked

I am interested in using Credit Karma's free credit report monitoring service.

Do you use it? find it useful? Any gotchas?

I know there was an FTC inquiry some years ago about the security of their mobile app, but other than that, I haven't found anything negative (that I could trust and verify)

 

[Gotadimple]

I do use it. It gives you a good read on your credit score, and suggests ways to increase it. The price: registration, but you are not on an email list with your registration, so one bonus point just for registering!

- Rita

 

[Another Reader]

I use it. I was informed within two minutes that Elan pulled the credit when I applied for the Fidelity card a few days ago. The credit scores are Vantage scores and they are not particularly reliable. For me, they are consistently lower than the same scores obtained elsewhere. Their credit card offers used to be decent, now very limited. I have never gone through the Credit Karma site to apply for one.

However, I'm not going do do anything involving financial accounts on the phone. Not going to expose my information to thieves in the parking lot of McDonalds or wherever. Heck, my printers are hardwired at home, not on wifi.

 

[COcheesehead]

I had my credit score pulled at a car dealer and it was about 30 points higher than what Credit Karma said it was. I thought I read somewhere that the score they post is actually just an estimate.

 

[Gotadimple]

I had my credit score pulled at a car dealer and it was about 30 points higher than what Credit Karma said it was. I thought I read somewhere that the score they post is actually just an estimate.

It depends on who the dealer uses for the credit score. Credit Karma uses Vantage 3.0 which is a compilation of Transunion and Equifax.

" VantageScore was created collaboratively by the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It’s part of an effort to make information more uniform between the three bureaus so consumers have a better, more consistent picture of their credit health. Credit Karma provides VantageScore 3.0 credit scores that are calculated by TransUnion and Equifax."


https://help.creditkarma.com/hc/en-us/articles/203484344-What-is-VantageScore-3-0-Who-uses-it-

 

[2035]

I use it...free no gotchas and updated weekly. My scores also match what discovercard shows


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I really don't know enough about how Credit Karma works but I get free reports now and then. I read where they use TransUnion and Equifax for their information. I recently froze our credit at all three agencies and was wondering how this affects your credit score including that info from Credit Karma?

 

[Sunset]

I get my credit score for free from a couple of Credit cards. They each use one of the big 3 reporting agencies.

I don't bother with credit reporting services like Karma, as being reported someone opened a CC in my name is too late. If I was worried, I'd do a freeze at the agencies.

 

[Sunset]

I really don't know enough about how Credit Karma works but I get free reports now and then. I read where they use TransUnion and Equifax for their information. I recently froze our credit at all three agencies and was wondering how this affects your credit score including that info from Credit Karma?

Should have no effect, as your credit score is determined by how you pay your bills on time (mostly).

Might raise it as it would cut down on hard pulls (which should not be happening anyhow unless you cause it).

 

[aja8888]

Recent check on Credit Karma a few minutes ago revealed:

TransUnion - 835
Equifax - 830

I just checked on my Capital One site and got - 837

My PenFed site says: - 834

So Karma appears to be pretty accurate.

I have my credit locked also.

 

[walkinwood]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Currently, I have a "free" subscription to AllClearID from Home Depot (or some other retailer) because they got hacked. It works very well, but I'm not inclined to pay for the service once the freebie ends. I'll just use Credit Karma.

 

[Chuckanut]

I thought I would use this old generic Credit Karma thread rather than start a new one.

I noticed that CK no longer will let me access my account via a normal web browser. They are insisting that I download the app and use it. Apps are probably more secure, but I still like the idea of being able to access my account without needing an app. Or maybe that is getting too easy for the bad guys to do?

Edit to add: I don’t keep any financial information or apps on my phone. It’s too easy to lose a phone.

 

[COcheesehead]

Are you trying to access it on a phone?

 

[Chuckanut]

Are you trying to access it on a phone?

I was trying to access on a laptop. But, it more or less forced me to use an app on my phone, which I do NOT like to do. I don’t keep any financial information or apps on my phone.

 

[COcheesehead]

I just tried accessing it on an iPad and I still get the main website, no app.

 

[Aerides]

They want you to use the app, but you don't have to. When I logged in, I got the splash page with the QR code pointing me to their app, but there's a X on the top left of the page, and I clicked that and it went away, back to normal.

If they ever force me to an app, I will dump them super fast.

 

[Dtail]

I use it from their app fro time to time. No issues of note.

 

[mrfeh]

They want you to use the app, but you don't have to. When I logged in, I got the splash page with the QR code pointing me to their app, but there's a X on the top left of the page, and I clicked that and it went away, back to normal.

If they ever force me to an app, I will dump them super fast.

View attachment 54811

+1

Easy to bypass the "use our app" page.

 

[Montecfo]

I do like and use if for credit monitoring. Have for many years. Just the site, no app.

 

[Graybeard]

I thought I would use this old generic Credit Karma thread rather than start a new one.

I noticed that CK no longer will let me access my account via a normal web browser. They are insisting that I download the app and use it. Apps are probably more secure, but I still like the idea of being able to access my account without needing an app. Or maybe that is getting too easy for the bad guys to do?

Edit to add: I don’t keep any financial information or apps on my phone. It’s too easy to lose a phone.

I get my credit scores at the end of each month from 2 cc banks and CK on a pc, no cell phone no apps. Why use CK when you can get your credit report free from TU, Equifax and Experian? I get a report every 4th month rotating through the 3 agencies. I don't need a credit report monthly or weekly.