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I got my score from Merrick Banks credit monitoring service, I don't truly know if it is a real or a Fako. More and more companies are using the Vantage score. I have Credit Karma, Quizzle, and Credit Sesame also to help monitor what is going on. Credit Karma is great as you can check it every day and also now offers free monitoring. You should see the ups and downs on the Vantage score they give you. Some times when I charge and don't pay off before the statement cycle hits and reports it drops my score. I guess over time as it becomes more used to these trends it doesn't affect the score as harshly. It is actually supposed to be more accurate than FICO, but not as widely used. I think some companies use both to get a better understanding of what could happen. If the trend in the Vantage score continues as it is now I will be in their excellent category by the end of the year. It would be great if it took into account how much I use my CapOne card in a month. I charged 3x my credit limit with them last month. If it knew that I would probably be in excellent by May.
If it is going to go south get removed before it happens. I added my sister to my account as she will be filing bankruptcy this year. This will help here speed up her recovery. I am certain to not let my accounts go south! I have more money than I can spend right now. In fact I will pay my entire rent for the year in one lump sum to insure that I don't have to worry about it or at least a six month installment. I am lucky as I have been saving much money in the past year. (I don't work in the US so I am taking advantage of this!)
They do soft pulls to determine which card you will be eligible for then a hard pull when you complete the process. The hard pull is mostly for determining the credit line and final approval.
You should check out Credit Karma and sign up for their free credit monitoring service. They are not as detailed and don't give don't give you the inquiries on your report, but they do explain things in a good way. No they are not as detailed about accounts as a paid service, but they are good. Also check out Credit Sesame, they give you access to your information also, but only once a month. Additionally, Quizzle gives you access to your report every six months. All are free.