Your credit rating and score is an important number that can help you assess whether or not you can purchase certain items on credit, or see if there are items you still need to pay off first. Regular updates can also help you assess your financial performance over time. While the usual method of procuring your credit score isn’t free, there are ways for you to get an accurate estimate without spending too much.

First you will need to get a verified credit report. This document can be obtained for free from a few credit agencies. Your credit report is also essential for determining your credit score. This number unfortunately isn’t free, but you can get a rough estimate by taking your credit rating, and using an online bank rating to get your range.

The range might seem fairly wide, but it can already help you determine your future finances. Your score can indicate whether you should start paying your expenses on time, or whether you should cut back on credit purchases. Your score can also be a good reminder whenever you start thinking of buying luxuries you know you really can’t afford.

Updating yourself on your most recent credit score shouldn’t be a one time process. Ensure that you check up on credit scores at least two times a year. In this way, you can slowly build up your own credit history, and accurately track where your expenses will go from there.