All about CreditWise
How to monitor your credit for free with CreditWise from Capital One.
Your credit score is important. It can impact the interest rates you pay on loans, which credit cards you’re approved for and much more. So when it comes to your credit health, staying in the know is crucial.
That’s where CreditWise from Capital One comes in.
What is CreditWise?
CreditWise is a completely free tool that allows you to monitor your VantageScore® 3.0 credit score. You can access CreditWise from your desktop or from your phone, so you have it at your fingertips. Using CreditWise to keep an eye on your credit won’t hurt your score. And it’s free for everyone, not just Capital One customers.
CreditWise features
CreditWise has tons of features to help you stay on top of your credit:
Credit summary
Check your CreditWise credit score as often as you like and get weekly credit score updates. Plus, get personalized details on factors that may impact your credit. This can include the age of your oldest credit line, how much available credit you have, the percentage of your available credit you’re using and more.
Credit alerts
Get an alert when something meaningful on your TransUnion® or Experian® credit report changes. That includes updates like recently opened or delinquent accounts. CreditWise also sends alerts for changes to public record, address or employment information on file with TransUnion and Experian.
Dark web surveillance
Find out if your email address or Social Security number is showing up on the dark web. CreditWise scans the dark web—including thousands of unsafe sites, hacking forums and illegal digital marketplaces—and alerts you if it finds your Social Security number or email address so you can take action.
Credit report
Review your TransUnion credit report anytime. And if you see any signs of error, fraud or theft, CreditWise will give you suggestions about what to do next.
CreditWise Simulator
The CreditWise Simulator can give you an idea how certain financial decisions could affect your credit. Find out how your credit score might change if you do things like
- Pay down credit card debt.
- Make payments on time.
- Increase the credit limit on a credit card.
- Open a new credit card.
- Cancel your oldest credit card.
- Buy something with your available credit.
- Borrow money to buy a house or a car.
- Apply for other loans.
Social Security number tracker
CreditWise tracks the names, aliases and addresses associated with your Social Security number. And if your SSN is associated with a new name or address, you get an alert.
For example, if you move and change your address, you may get an alert. But that type of alert may indicate that someone is using your SSN. And if that’s the case, they could use it to apply for credit, access your bank accounts and more.
Using CreditWise won’t affect your credit score
You can sign in as often as you like—using CreditWise will never affect your credit score. That’s because CreditWise uses what’s known as a soft inquiry to check your credit.
Start monitoring your credit for free
Whether you’re a Capital One customer or not, CreditWise is available to you for free. It doesn’t take long to sign up. And if you already have a Capital One account, you can simply sign in and follow just one quick step to get started.
You could also go to AnnualCreditReport.com to get free copies of your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus.
But with CreditWise, you can get personalized suggestions to help you better understand your score and take control of your credit future.
We hope you found this helpful. Our content is not intended to provide legal, investment or financial advice or to indicate that a particular Capital One product or service is available or right for you. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, consider talking with a qualified professional.
Your CreditWise score is calculated using the TransUnion® VantageScore® 3.0 model, which is one of many credit scoring models. Your CreditWise score is a good measure of your overall credit health, but it is not likely to be the same score used by creditors. The availability of the CreditWise tool depends on our ability to obtain your credit history from TransUnion. Some monitoring and alerts may not be available to you if the information you enter at enrollment does not match the information in your credit file at (or you do not have a file at) one or more consumer reporting agencies.
CreditWise Alerts are based on changes to your TransUnion and Experian® credit reports and information we find on the dark web.
The CreditWise Simulator provides an estimate of your score change and does not guarantee how your score may change.