How often should you expect an update on Score Watch?

[Anonymous]

Im sure this is redundant, but I havent received any update since aug 29.  i was hoping to get some message even if it didnt change...  but it should have.  i log in everyday to check to see an updated score-- i dont just wait for an alert.... nothing.

so

how often should i receive an update even if there is no change?

thanks

[haulingthescoreup]

Hi --check the Score Watch Guide stickied at the top of this board. 

Be sure that your target score is set to whatever your most current score is. Not where you want to be, not 1 point above where you are now, not 1 point below, but the exact score. It doesn't make sense, but there it is.

You might also change your settings to be as sensitive as possible (balance increase, % increase, and so forth.) This is done on the Settings tab on your Scorewatch account, as is resetting your target score. Be aware that this might cause you to get duplicate alerts, when a balance change triggers multiple settings, but that beats no alerts.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

thanks for the suggestions!  i read the sticky thread, but it seems like im doing all the right things...  all the ones you suggested....

is there an update to the score even if there is no change--

for example:

aug 29- 592

sept 14- 592

? 

thanks again

[haulingthescoreup]

Well, you ought to get an update, even without a score change, if one of the other settings change --for instance, a balance increase might not be enough to change your score, but if it was large enough to match one of your settings, you should get an alert.

But the alerts aren't instant. My understanding is that for non-score-change alerts, your report is checked less frequently, so there might well be a delay.

Also, don't forget that you have to wait for the new balance to show up on the report.

You can pay down/ off your balance, but the new balance won't be reported to the credit bureaus including Equifax until the next statement posts for your account. (This is true in almost all cases, although a few cards update your balance as of the last business day of the month.) Then Equifax has to get around to actually updating your credit report, which takes anywhere from four days after getting the new data to two weeks. Then you have to wait for Scorewatch to make its next check of your reports and see the new balance. And then comes the alert.

So there are several things that have to happen before SW can even see the change, and then the time periods in the link come into play.

[Anonymous]

ok!  ill keep checking in--- im resisting the urge to pay to get one, so ill give it a little more time.  cant imagine paying twice!

thanks a ton!

[Anonymous]

i emailed tech support and im still not getting an answer to my question...

even if there is no change in a score should i still receive an alert every 7-10 days?

The link to the user info, and the response from tech support say the same things-

Score Alerts - these alerts notify the subscriber of Equifax FICO score changes. (See table below.)
Equifax FICO scores are monitored for changes in two ways:
1. If a Credit Alert is triggered, the latest score is always shown on that alert.
2. When no Credit Alerts are triggered, the scores are monitored every 7-10 days for changes.

If not, thats ok too, but I want to understand this better---

thanks!

[Anonymous]

But, I might have an idea of why... and i just saw this...

You know that main page that says your most recent credit score in a box?  mine says the most recent is 578 as of 8/17  BUT there is also an alert sent 8/29 which shows my score as 592   I have my settings set to alert at 592...  ARG!  im trying so hard to understand!

any help understanding the differences?

[llecs]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

But, I might have an idea of why... and i just saw this...

You know that main page that says your most recent credit score in a box?  mine says the most recent is 578 as of 8/17  BUT there is also an alert sent 8/29 which shows my score as 592   I have my settings set to alert at 592...  ARG!  im trying so hard to understand!

any help understanding the differences?

---

Unfortunately whenever you get a SW alert, with any sort of score change, that score change won't show on your "My Purchases" page in the EQ Box. I wish it would. though. The new score would only show if you pulled a new EQ report. However, congrats on your score increase! You can still see that score increase and hints as to the reason why your score increased in your SW subscription and can also see the score change in your SW graph. Be sure to change your Target score within Settings to 592 ASAP if you want to be alerted again to any score change.

[Anonymous]

maybe this is a stupid question, but can you set your target score to something waay below your actual score. for example if i set mine to 400..? so that any increase or decrease would alert me since it is higher than my target score?

[llecs]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

maybe this is a stupid question, but can you set your target score to something waay below your actual score. for example if i set mine to 400..? so that any increase or decrease would alert me since it is higher than my target score?

---

You'll only get an alert if your new score equaled or exceeded your target score (in either direction). So, if you set it at 400, the next alert would come when your FICO drops to 400 or less. Conversely, if you set it for 840, for example, you won't get an alert until your score hits 840 or above.