GENERAL QUESTIONS

Credit Karma believes consumers have a right to know this information with no charge or without the bait and switch of 30 days free followed by enrollment products with confusing opt outs. We subsidize our cost of pulling the credit scores by selling advertising on the site.

Back to top

Our free credit scores are sponsored by partners who share our vision that consumers should have free and regular access to their score.

With that said, rest assured that Credit Karma will never share your information with third parties or even our partners without your explicit permission. Our privacy policy has been reviewed and approved by TRUSTe, an independent third party, to ensure your privacy is strictly protected.

Back to top

The principle of Karma is common to many beliefs. The general idea is that any action a person takes either positive or negative, will have an inevitable equal effect in the future. Your credit score is kind of an expression of this concept; an index of your credit history: your credit karma.

Back to top

If you have a question we haven't answered here, drop us a line at help@creditkarma.com and we'll do our best to help you out.

Back to top

KARMA OFFERS

The offers we pick for you are determined through a combination of the data you give us about yourself and the feedback provided by members of the community.

Back to top

Karma Offers are from partners who share our vision of consumer empowerment and value the opportunity to connect with well matched consumers.

Back to top

We want the best offers for our users. We think we're pretty smart, but no one knows better than you, the consumer. Vote! Comment! Tell us what you think! Your opinions will influence future offers and help inform other people using the site.

Back to top

We try to keep the site as fresh and vibrant as possible. Some of the offers are ongoing, so you'll always see them. Other offers will come and go quickly based on demand.

Back to top

PRIVACY AND SECURITY

We collect and store some basic consumer data about you when you register and use the site. For details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Back to top

Credit Karma will never share your information without your explicit permission.

In the future, advertisers may give specials discounts to you based on your credit (your karma). However no personally identifiable information will ever be disclosed until you give permission to share the data.

Back to top

Credit Karma is committed to your safety. We follow the latest security precautions to protect your identity and your data. In fact we went a little bit over the top in an attempt to do everything possible to prevent unauthorized access to your information. Our site is registered with VeriSign and Hackersafe. Our office is protected by a 30lb beagle.

Back to top

In order to retrieve your first credit score, we must use your social security number. We only use your SSN for this first score retrieval, and we do not store it in our database. After this one-time use, we will not need your SSN again and it will not be stored on any of our systems.

Back to top

CREDIT SCORES

A credit score is a numerical expression between derived from a statistical analysis of a person's credit files. A credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of that person, which is the likelihood that the person will pay his or her debts in a timely manner. A credit score is primarily based on credit report information which is typically sourced from credit bureaus / credit reference agencies. Higher scores are considered better.

This system was developed by lenders, such as banks and credit card companies who use credit scores to evaluate the potential risk posed by lending money to people and to mitigate losses due to bad debt. Lenders use credit scores to determine who qualifies for a loan, at what interest rate, and what credit limits. Other organizations, such as mobile phone companies, insurance companies, employers, and government departments have begun to employ the same techniques.

Back to top

A credit report contains all of the detailed information in person's credit file maintained by a Credit Bureau. Think of it as an accumulation of information about how you pay your bills and repay loans, how much credit you have available and what your monthly debts are that could be provided by the Credit Bureau in a consumer report to a third party, such as a credit card company or a lender.

The data in a credit report is interpreted through a complex mathematical process to determine a credit score, which is a single number. Credit scores commonly range from 300 to 850.

Back to top

No, Credit Karma is not a credit bureau or credit reporting agency. We do not maintain or calculate your score. We simply act as your agent in retrieving your score from a Credit Bureau.

Back to top

No. Credit Karma is making the credit score request on your behalf. Inquires made on your behalf will not be shown to creditors and will not affect your credit score.

Back to top

Your credit score is determined by each separate credit bureau and may differ with each one. Scores can also vary from day to day depending on your financial activity. This is one of the reasons we encourage you to come back and check your score often.

Back to top

Credit Karma will not access your credit information if there is a fraud alert on your file with a credit bureau. We respect your privacy and your request for additional protection of your credit information. What you may be able to do is to contact the credit bureaus and have them temporarily remove the alert if you would like to see your free credit score. In the meantime, you are welcome to use the other sections of Credit Karma including our offers, rate tables, news and content, and blog. And remember, if you would like to access your credit score in the future, you can contact us when your fraud alert expires.

Back to top

The three nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies have created a centralized service as a resource for consumers. For more information about this, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com

Back to top