How to keep an eye on your credit score

Your credit score is more important than you might think. This 3-digit number can affect your ability to get a loan or credit card and how much interest you’ll pay on it. In some cases, it even impacts whether you get a job or an apartment.

As a Flagstar customer, you can check your credit score anytime at no cost and without affecting your score. After you sign in to your account, your credit score will appear on the first screen. If you just want the number, you're all set. For a deeper dive, select Show Full Report to access more details and tools like:

• Analysis: See a breakdown of your score in 6 categories with a letter grade for each. Click on a category to understand the factors affecting your score.

• Report: View your complete credit history, including open and closed accounts. Catch a mistake? Start a dispute with the click of a button.

• Simulator: Before you make a financial move like applying for a loan or transferring your credit card balance, use this tool to see how it would affect your credit score.

• Goals: Set targeted goals with deadlines to improve your credit score. This tool can help you plan for your next large purchase.

• Alerts: Keep up to date about recent activity across your accounts, including payments and credit use.

What your credit score numbers mean

The three leading credit scoring agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—calculate your credit score using your borrowing and payment history. The scores range from 300-850 and indicate how likely someone is to pay their bills on time and manage debt responsibly.

Here's how the numbers typically break down:

800 – 850: Excellent
740 – 799: Very Good
670 – 739: Good
580 – 669: Fair
300 – 579: Poor

The credit scoring system doesn’t cover everyone, though. If you have always paid with cash and have no debt, you should have a sky-high credit score, right? That’s not the case. In fact, you would have no credit score. While no score is not the same as a bad score, you may need to provide additional documentation when applying for a mortgage or car loan.