A FICO score is a credit score computed by the good folks at Fair Issac Corporation. The score is formulated base on various factors from each of your respective credit report. What a FICO score basically represent is your creditworthiness to lenders. The higher your score, the better your chances for credit approval. The lower your score, your chances of credit approval from lenders will be less likely.

Why FICO Scores are Important

Knowing your FICO score allows you to know what type of interest rate you can receive from lenders, and how likely you are to be approved credit. A FICO score range from 300-850, and each score, as mentioned, is based on your report from the big three credit reporting agency: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Because each of the report may be different from one and another, you may have three different FICO scores.

Unfortunately, FICO scores are not free, and they’re not cheap either. You can purchase your FICO score from Fair Issac’s website. Thankfully, there are a few different ways you can get comparative credit scores for free.

There are also numerous locations for promotional discount codes on FICO scores from myFICO at various place on the web. They range anywhere from 10% off to 20% off purchases.

Here are four tips to save money on your FICO credit scores:

1. Estimate Your FICO Score for Free

Get your FICO score estimated for free from myFICO.

2. Get Free Score at Credit Karma

Get credit score from CreditKarma, a non-FICO credit score, but good for comparison sake (plus its free).

3. Get Free Credit Grade at Know Before You Apply

Get a credit grade at Know Before You Apply, which grades your credit rating on a scale from F to A, just like in school (urgh).

4. Use Promotional Discount Codes for myFICO

A quick search on Google shows a few different websites with promotional codes for purchasing FICO scores at myFICO.

• Use this myFICO promotional code for discount found from a finance blog
• myFICO discount codes are also updated regularly at creditboards
• Search Google for “myfico discount” and you should find other updated promotional codes

To add insult to injury, when you get hit with a credit card late fee or a over-the-limit fee, your mistake will also be reported to the credit reporting agency, dinging your score and worsening your chance to get approval for lending. So much for that yacht you want to build from scratch via plastic bottles!

Here’s four easy ways to avoid credit card fees:

1. Setup an online account for your credit card. Most major credit card providers will have extra features for their online access, giving you email or text message alerts when your bills are due. What’s that? A message from Jenny, wanting to hook up for the weekend? Nope – just your credit card company reminding you to pay your freaking bill. Nice!
2. Pay Online! As with online access, one convenient feature is the ability to setup your account so that you can pay your credit card online. Slap in your routing number, checking account number, and bam – online payment saves the day.
3. Change your due date! Many major banks allows you to change your date to fit your busy lifestyle. After all, there’s parties to crash, Guild raids to run, and exams to fail. Chase allows you to set your due date to the specific day you want in the online account access. Don’t see such an option? Phone your credit card company and see if such an option is available.
4. Don’t get a credit card! Hah. If you have trouble managing credit card fees, find yourself constantly getting hit with an over-the-limit fee, then perhaps a check/debit card may work better for you. Or heck, good old fashion cash doesn’t hurt either.

Remember, each time you’re hit with a credit card fee due to a mistake you make, whatever purchase you’ve made on the card just became extra expensive. Save yourself money that can be better spend elsewhere, and take responsibility for your credit card. Use the tools available and combat those fees!