American Express just sent out mass emails to all their cardholders about getting a credit score and report for absolutely free for 30 days. There are no strings attached since it’s set to automatic cancellation. Those with an AmEx card, login into your account first, and go through this special link.

Here’s the email:

Dear XXXXXXX,

Congratulations! You are now eligible to receive your annual complimentary Credit Score and Report, exclusively for American Express ® Cardmembers.

Log in now to see My Credit Score and Report

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You all know that using a credit card, building your credit limit, and paying your balance on time build up your credit score. It’s always a good idea to check up on your credit score every now and then. Well, there is a free service out here called Credit Karma. It allows to check your Transunion credit score for absolutely free. No credit card sign up and no cancellation requirement. However, this is not the real FICO score, but it gives you a good estimation of where your FICO credit score is.

Simply sign up through the link , which is completely free for credit score approximation. You will need to give up some personal information such as Social Security in order to access your credit report. Credit Karma stands out in their comparison tools. The visual presentation compares you nationally with your age group, location, etc.

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For those Chase customers with a Chase Credit Card and a Chase Checking Account, you may be able to get a free FICO Experian score. People from the following states AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, and WA are qualify at the moment.

Here’s a recent email from the CSR:

Thank you for contacting the Internet Service Center.

Thank you for inquiring about the ability to view your
credit score online. I’m happy to explain this new feature
to Chase Online.

Starting February 11, 2010, some credit card customers who
log onto Chase Online will see a full-page ad notifying
that you can find out your FICO credit score at no charge.
The FICO score is valuable to you because it’s a key
factor in determining the loan rates and credit card terms
that you are offered.

The ad features a “Show me my free credit score from FICO”
button that you click on to see your score.

When you click on the button, you’ll be taken to a special
Chase Online page that gives you your credit score (within
a 10 point range) and additional information about how to
improve or maintain your credit score. FICO scores can
range from 300 to 850; they’re provided by Experian, a
third-party credit reporting agency.

When you click “Go to My Accounts” on the full-page ad you
will see a banner ad promoting the free FICO score after
subsequent log-ins to Chase Online.

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Expect a Hard:

1. Barclay’s Business (i.e. Bank Atlantic) – per call on, but soft when done to new account.
2. Chase – always a hard pull
3. Citi – hard pull is definite if they ask for income verification.
4. Discover – hard pull at or beyond 15k
5. FNBO – Always hard through form.

No Hard Pull:

1. Juniper / Barclay’s – call the CSR on the back of your card and ask for an increase.
2. Discover (personal) – credit limit increase $2K every six months by calling 1-800-DISCOVER. It’s a soft pull.
3. US Bank (personal) – increase credit limit by 20% every 3 months with usage .
4. Wells Fargo – Call CSR and ask for increase without hard pull. They might say “we have to hard pull” then just talk to another CSR later.
5. USAA – Choose soft pull for additional review.
6. Citi – You can do this within your online account. CLI is instant unless ask for income verification.
7. AMEX – Use online form for no-hard CLI. If your credit limit is more than $25K, don’t bother asking. Otherwise they might reduce your credit limit.
8. Bank of America – Use online form for no-hard CLI.
9. WalMart – Use online form for no-hard CLI. Every 6 months usually.
10. Principal – No credit check for pre-approved limit increase.

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Now come the strategies of getting and maintaining a high credit score. There are many different versions of how to out getting high credit score; below is just my own version. Minimize your credit utilization – Credit Reporting Companies (CRCs) take the amount you owed on a single card and the percentage use of your [...]

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Understanding the importance of a high credit score is a must for anybody who wishes to stay financially healthy. Here’s my first part to keeping credit score high. Before we go into the strategies of keeping credit score high, why do we need it high? If your score is above 750, you are most likely [...]

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