End of Year Money “Musts”

The year is coming to a close and soon you’ll be making resolutions for next year. If your goals involve moving, getting a new job, or buying a car, you’ll want to take a look at your credit report and FICO® Score. Both are reviewed for those purposes and monitoring them is like a health checkup for your finances. Better yet, they are both free and easy to do.

Credit Report Review

All three of the major credit bureaus offer a free credit report every week through annualcreditreport.com. This is the website recommended by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as the only authorized website for free credit reports.

We recommend checking your report throughout the year so you best spot changes or discrepancies. For example, check Equifax at the beginning of the year, TransUnion mid-year, and Experian at the end of the year.

Download Your Free
Credit Report Review Checklist

Download (PDF 308kb)

FICO® Score Review

Every quarter, 1st United provides our members with their FICO® Score, free. It appears on your statement and includes the top key factors that affected your score that quarter. 1st United believes in helping members achieve strong financial health. FICO® Score is just one tool that will help you choose credit wisely, establish repayment goals, and accomplish more.

To see your score, take a look at the statement that you received in the mail or view your statement online.

Need help?

Finishing off the year knowing your credit is in order can give you peace of mind going into the new year, especially if your goals involve loans or financing. If you are unsure how to read your credit report, or want guidance on how to improve your credit, help is available. 1st United has partnered with BALANCE, a financial education and counseling service, who can help our members with all these tasks, for free. If you’d like to meet with BALANCE, please call them at (888) 456-2227.

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.