Is myFICO legit? Features, reviews, and pricing

What is myFICO?

myFICO is the consumer branch of Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), the company that created the FICO Score, which is used by 90% of the top lenders in the U.S. It’s a subscription-based service that lets you check your FICO score and monitor your credit reports for changes, updates, or errors.

The main advantage myFICO has over other credit monitoring services is that it offers the best access to the most popular credit score in the U.S., meaning it’s one of the best ways to track what most lenders will see. Other similar services tend to show your VantageScore which, while still important, isn’t used by as many lenders.

myFICO launched in 2001, and today has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, the highest possible mark and a strong signal of trustworthiness.

What myFICO includes

myFICO is largely oriented around tracking credit scores, but all plans also offer access to credit reports, credit monitoring coverage across up to three major credit bureaus (Equifax^®, Experian^®, and TransUnion^®), and identity theft protection features like identity monitoring, identity theft insurance, and restoration support.

These features are available across three subscription tiers — starting with Free, a free tier that has limited functionality, and progressing to the paid Advanced and Premier levels which add new features. The myFICO plans are priced as follows:

• Free: free
• Advanced: $29.95/month
• Premier: $39.95/month

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the main features of myFICO:

FICO scores and credit reports

All myFICO plans allow you to check your FICO Score 8. This is one of the most popular credit scores, used by many lenders to evaluate creditworthiness during the application process. The Free plan allows you to check your score with just one bureau (Equifax), while the Advanced and Premier plans offer full three-bureau coverage.

The Advanced and Premier myFICO plans also allow you to check other FICO Score variants, including some specific to mortgages and auto loans. Additionally, the two paid plans include a credit score simulator for FICO Score 8, allowing you to predict how actions like getting a new loan or credit card would affect your credit score.

Credit report bureau coverage is the same as the credit score bureau coverage, with the Free plan only offering reports from Equifax on a monthly basis while the Advanced and Premier plans offer reports from all three bureaus, with new reports available every three months and every month, respectively.

Credit monitoring

All myFICO subscriptions provide some level of credit monitoring, allowing you to keep on top of your credit reports automatically. Credit monitoring services alert you to changes or updates on your report, like hard credit inquiries, new accounts in your name, late payments, address changes, and more. They can help you catch errors or, worse, signs of fraud and identity theft.

Coverage varies by plan, with the free level restricted to one-bureau (Equifax) credit monitoring while the Advanced and Premier tiers add TransUnion and Experian credit report monitoring to the mix for fuller coverage.

Identity monitoring

The Advanced and Premier myFICO plans add some new features typical of identity theft protection services, including identity monitoring. This means that myFICO continuously monitors for signs that your Social Security number (SSN) or other personal information may have been used without your permission, sending alerts if suspicious activity is detected.

However, this monitoring coverage is relatively limited compared to dedicated identity protection services, which generally also include monitoring of the dark web, connected financial accounts, social media platforms, and more.

Identity theft insurance and restoration

The Advanced and Premier myFICO tiers also include identity theft insurance and access to 24/7 restoration services, both of which are designed to help you recover from identity theft if you become a victim.

Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance is available on both paid plans, there to cover eligible costs like legal fees, lost wages, and fees associated with restoring accounts or replacing documents.

The myFICO identity restoration service offers round-the-clock access to experts who can help you navigate the complicated process of recovering from identity theft. That can include guiding you through how to contact credit bureaus and creditors, secure your accounts, and complete paperwork like identity theft affidavits.

What myFICO doesn’t include

While myFICO offers unparalleled access to your FICO Score, makes it easier to monitor your credit reports, and provides limited identity theft protection, it’s not a full-service financial protection or credit repair company. myFICO can alert you to issues, but it’s on you to take action.

To be clear, my FICO:

• Doesn’t prevent identity theft or fraud from occurring.
• Doesn’t fix your credit automatically (you have to dispute errors yourself).
• Doesn’t guarantee loan or credit card approvals.
• Doesn’t replace stolen funds or fraudulent transactions.
• Doesn’t monitor all of your financial accounts.

It also doesn’t include many of the features you’d expect from a dedicated identity theft protection service, like financial account alerts, dark web monitoring, stolen wallet protection, automatic data broker removal, social media monitoring, and data breach alerts.

Finally, remember, myFICO is not a lender and doesn’t make credit decisions. Nor does it control the data held by Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, which underpin your FICO Scores.

Is myFICO worth it?

Whether myFICO is worth it for you depends on what you need from a service. If you’re in the market for a relatively simple tool to get the clearest view of your FICO score, credit monitoring coverage, and lightweight identity theft protection, it might be worth it. If you want a more fully-featured service which can help you reduce your exposure to online risks, monitor many more threats, and get more comprehensive support if you’re targeted by identity theft, it might fall short.

Users tend to rate myFICO well, with the service holding a 4.7 star rating on Reviews.io, 4.3 stars on the Google Play Store, and 4.8 stars on the Apple App Store. And myFICO is generally praised by expert reviewers, earning a 4.4 star rating from All About Cookies, 4 stars from TechRadar, and 3.5 stars from Tom’s Guide.

But reviews tend to make clear that myFICO is really just good at what it does best — providing credit score and report updates. They also call out shortcomings, like relatively high subscription prices, missing security features, and limited monitoring coverage beyond credit reports.

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of myFICO, combining facts about the features with opinions from expert reviews:

Pros:

• Access to real FICO scores: Widely praised as the only major service showing the actual scores lenders use, rather than estimates.
• Multiple score versions: Lets users see how different types of mortgage, auto, and bankcard lenders evaluate them.
• Strong credit monitoring and alerts: Detailed alerts and reports across bureaus, especially on higher-tier plans.
• Excellent credit tools and simulator: Experts highlight the credit score simulator and educational tools as standout features.
• Reputable company (FICO): Backed by the same company that created the scoring model, adding credibility.

Cons:

• Expensive compared to alternatives: Frequently cited by both users and experts as expensive for what it offers.
• Only basic identity protection features: Lacks broader identity monitoring covering financial accounts and personal information beyond credit reports.
• Limited features on lower-tier plans: The free plan only provides single credit bureau coverage, meaning it’s not a great option for monitoring.
• No bundled security tools: There’s no option to add features that are commonly found in similar services, like a VPN, antivirus, or password manager.

Monitor more than just your credit

myFICO is a good way to track your credit score, but if you’re interested in protecting against the threat of fraud or identity theft, LifeLock can help. It offers access to credit reports and scores from up to three bureaus, but also includes features that go well beyond credit monitoring, helping you set up proactive defenses, detect threats in more places, and get the expert support you need if you’re targeted.

That includes features to monitor the dark web for your personal information, a tool that removes your information from data brokers automatically, alerts if your Social Security number is detected in suspicious activity, and 24/7 monitoring across credit, checking, and savings accounts.

FAQs

Will checking myFICO hurt my credit score?

No, checking myFICO will not hurt your credit score. Checking your credit score yourself is considered a soft inquiry. This differs from a hard inquiry which occurs when a lender formally checks your credit as part of a credit application process and does affect your credit score.

Can I trust myFICO with my personal information?

You can trust myFICO with your personal information to the same extent that you can trust any reputable organization. myFICO is a completely legitimate service and is generally considered safe to use. But, as is the case whenever you provide data to a company, giving myFICO information leaves you vulnerable to harm if there’s a data breach.

Is myFICO or LifeLock better for identity protection?

For overall identity protection, LifeLock is generally seen as a better choice than myFICO, frequently appearing near the top of lists of the best identity theft protection services, including the lists compiled by Security.org and Forbes. LifeLock offers more identity protection features, including dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, data breach alerts, and up to $3 million in identity theft reimbursement coverage.