My credit report is fine, the way each calculates scores is what's wild. I pay for Citi IDMonitor and the scores I get there are lower than the official agency scores.

I think that depends on location, most of my pulls are Equifax.

Let's clear some of this up. There are many different types of credit scores and most of them aren't especially useful.

For example, these scores are FAKOs - they are not real FICO scores at all:
Since they don't follow the same formula as FICO, they have very little relation to any logic used to determine your approval for any CC or loan.

This one is a real FICO:

It was used by Barclay's to determine if you get approved. Bear in mind, however, that each person has no less than 6 legitimate FICO scores; 1 from each credit agency using a mortgage formula and 1 from each using an auto loan formula. There are also credit card specific versions. However, even that might not constrain it; there are different vintages of each score - some mortgage lenders use a recent vintage, while others will pull an older calculation scheme.

The best you, as a consumer, can do is monitor whatever real FICO you can get. Keep that score high and it's likely that your CC and loan pulls will look similar. But ignore the FAKOs. They often give advice that's opposite what FICO would, especially if you have a very active credit profile.

Here's a thread with info on a few places to get real FICO scores: http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Unde...-HERE/m-p/8169

Gotcha. I'm hoping that the score provided by ExperianDirect.com is a real FICO score and not FAKO, because if that's the case, my score is 15 points higher than my Citi ID Monitor says it is (on the report with the most inquiries).

I'm doing a bunch of apps tomorrow (about 5 cards if all goes to plan) so I wanted to make sure I have everything lined up.

Is it the PLUS score? Regardless, you can't buy a real Experian FICO right now. Tho there is one credit union in Pennsylvania (not sure the name; dig around on the myfico forums for it) that will give it to you if you join.

myfico.com will give you a fairly useful real Equifax FICO and a real (older version) TU FICO if you pay enough.

EDIT: This is what I was looking for earlier. List of popular sources of scores and if they are real or not: http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Gene...de/td-p/662549

Never mind, it is FAKO ...

US Bank provided me a free score. I didn't know it was a membership until I was emailed that my score was updated. I have yet to be charged for it.

My CreditKarma score is almost 100 points lower than my CreditSesame. It sort of makes sense because TU (on which CK is based) has gotten more pulls than Experian (on which CS is based). Still, the score difference shouldn't be that big. I did check my TU report and everything is accurate.

The membership is actually free, you get one update a month and they constantly try to up sell you, but you don't have to take the bait.