Not all scores are created equal

Many beginners don't realize that there are many different credit scores out there. The score(s) that matter most are the one(s) that your lenders / prospective lenders use. The vast majority of lenders use Fico scores in their lending decisions. You'll often see Fico scores referenced as being used by 90% of lenders, for example. Many of the credit scores you come across online are not Fico scores. The majority of these are of the VantageScore variety, which are rarely used in lending decisions. Some examples of VantageScore sources online are Credit Karma, WalletHub and Credit Sesame. Many lenders also provide a free VantageScore such as Synchrony, Chase Credit Journey and Capital One Credit Wise. While some of the other features of these sources such as credit reports and report monitoring can be beneficial, it is important to recognize that they are not providing you with a meaningful Fico score.