Free credit score

Question: My husband and I have been pretty good about keeping on top of our credit history. We get credit reports on a revolving basis from the major companies. But none of them tells us our credit score, which is the important information. How can we find out what that all-important number is? Reg, Los Angeles, CA

Answer: By law, consumers can get free credit reports from the major bureaus (which is what you’re already doing). But you can’t get your actual credit score for free. You’ll have to pay up. For example, the creator of the FICO–the biggest player in the credit scoring business–charges $15.95 for online access to your credit score. You can also go to websites like CreditKarma.com and MSNmoney.com to get an approximation of your credit score for free.