How To Get your Credit Score For Free Using Credit Karma

Credit Karma is a great option to find out what your credit score is. The Karma credit score is free for Canadians and lets you know where you stand in terms of your credit rating. Not only that, they also offer other free services like credit reports and monitoring your credit. Until recently, you had to pay at least $20 to get your credit score in Canada. Services like Credit Karma and Borrowell have made it possible to get this information for free.

Beyond the free Karma credit score, you also get some deals on cards, loans, and mortgages. They let you know what your odds are of getting approved for loan products and let you know the terms. Credit Karma takes the guesswork out of what your credit score is and what your approval odds are. 

It’s quick and easy to get your Karma credit score for free. The scores and credit report are available from both TransUnion and Equifax, which are two of the main credit bureaus. Credit Karma then creates a VantageScore from that information. This allows them to offer you the loans that suit your credit score. 

Getting the Free Karma credit score

It used to be that you’d have to pay for your credit score but Credit Karma gives it to you for free. To get my free Karma credit score, I just had to sign up. This was a quick and easy process I did on my laptop. Karma partnered up with TransUnion to give Canadians a chance to view their credit score for free. With that said, my personal information was needed to verify my identity with TransUnion. The credit score offered results in a soft inquiry so it has no impact on your credit score. 

They had a form to fill out where I gave them information like my name, address, and social insurance number. Once I filled out the form, I received an email with a link to get my free Karma credit score. I wasn’t actually able to get into my account right away. 

I did have a bit of a glitch with my sign up process and I only mention this to give you an idea of their level of security. There was a fraudulent sign up that was similar to my credentials so when I was signing up, I wasn’t able to access anything until I spoke with customer support. This process was quite simple and they asked me to verify the email. It was not mine and once I’d let them know, they suspended the email immediately that was associated with my name. They also advised that I could file a police report and that they would help with the investigation. I know this is not the usual situation but they managed it quickly and without effort by me. 

What is Credit Karma?

Credit Karma was originally founded in the US back in 2006 and started serving Canadians in 2016. It allows you to get free credit scores, reports, and credit monitoring. Through the information I received on my dashboard, I was able to educate myself on how to improve my score. They also offer loan products and let me know the likelihood of being approved. 

You may be wondering how they make money. They offer recommendations for credit cards based on the score of your credit. If you apply for one of the credit cards, the bank that’s issuing the card will pay Credit Karma a referral fee.

Credit Karma features

Credit Karma not only offers free credit score and weekly reports, they also connect you with Canada’s leading lenders. You get offers that are exclusively available at Credit Karma on credit cards, loans, and mortgages. They let you know your pre-approval odds so you’re able to apply with the peace of mind that you’ve got a good or excellent chance of getting the loan product you want. 

You also have the opportunity to improve credit scores with tools available at Credit Karma. You don’t just receive a free trial for your credit score, you also get your score updated every week. The free Karma credit report allows you to see the details of your credit. You’ll be sent alerts when anything changes on your report. 

• Credit cards – get great offers that include five of the biggest Canadian banks and top providers.
• Loans – There are many loan offers available with easy-to-see terms and amounts.
• Mortgage loans – They offer new mortgages, refinancing, and renewal options with the best rates. 
• Credit score and reports- Access to credit scores and reports from TransUnion every week.
• Helpful recommendations-Credit Karma analyzes your credit profile and makes recommendations to you that can help in saving you money.
• Credit monitoring-You’re sent credit alerts if important changes occur on your TransUnion credit report. This helps you determine if identity theft has taken place.
• Tools/Education-Financial calculators and educational blog articles on the site help you understand credit and how you can use it as leverage.

Credit Karma products and services 

Credit cards of all kinds are available. You can search for what is most important to you and it’s easy to browse the credit card categories for the one that makes sense for your lifestyle.

When you’re logged in, they give you a personalized list of credit card options where you’re likely to get approval. This is great as it takes the guesswork out of applying for credit cards and loans. You get all the information about the card including the annual fees and interest rates. 

Personal loan options are made easy with a search function. You can choose how much you want to borrow and put in your credit score. There are also loan offers tailored to you based on your financial profile when you’re signed in.

Credit Karma offers car loans based on your credit profile too. They have partners they work with and you can compare loans for new and used cards. 

In the mortgage loans section, you’ll have a list of recommended loans to choose from. They give you information on the length of time, rate, APR, monthly payment, and fees involved.

Free Karma Credit score and credit report

The free Karma credit score you’re going to receive consists of the standard 3-digit number that ranges from 300 to 900. If you’re down at 300, this is considered to be bad credit. Having something near 900 represents good credit. Credit scores from Equifax and TransUnion may slightly vary but in general, this is the scale;

Excellent – 800 – 900

720 – 799 – Very good

650 – 719 – Good

600 – 649 – Fair

300 – 599 – Poor 

The higher your score is, the more options you have for loans with the opportunity to get the most competitive interest rates. 

What TransUnion considers when formulating your credit score:

• History of loan repayment
• Total debt you currently have
• Length of your credit history
• Credit inquiries on your account that are new
• Your mix of credit

Records that may be seen on your credit report will include:

• A list of your credit accounts currently
• Public records and collections
• Inquiries on credit reports you made in the past
• Consumer statements

How to get the Karma Credit score and credit report

Go to the Credit Karma website and click on “Sign up for free.”

A form will pop up for you to fill out.

Once done, I clicked to “Next Step” and was taken to the second form. This is where I could choose whether I wanted to receive email updates with my credit profile. I could opt into emails if I wanted. I also verified my identity with a variety of questions they asked me. They were things that only I could know. Once done, I had access to the Karma credit score and all the extras. 

Credit Karma pros and cons

Cons

• You can’t import transactions.
• Credit scores are only updated weekly.

Conclusion

Credit Karma offers a variety of free services that help you keep track of your credit, access loans, and help you improve your overall credit score. They have many other financial services that are all free for you as a Canadian. There’s a lot of value here if you’re looking to build or repair your credit rating. Credit Karma is a helpful tool for Canadians looking for loans based on their credit. 

Credit Karma offers you options for loans, credit education, and more. Getting a loan online is far easier and more convenient than going through your bank. You’ll know what loans you’re likely to get and have an opportunity to compare them side by side. Credit Karma is the new way to get a loan with a user-friendly interface and a full gauntlet of financial solutions.