myFICO Review: A Detailed Look at Fair Isaac Corporation's Credit Monitoring Service
The Fair Isaac Corporation is an industry leader in the world of data analytics and credit scores. Going by the name of FICO, the publicly traded company created what's known as FICO scoring, which is used by over 90% of lenders to determine borrowers' creditworthiness.
In fact, your myFICO credit score directly reflects your FICO numbers. myFICO.com is the consumer branch of the FICO company that focuses on credit monitoring. Our myFICO review explains the details.
About myFICO
myFICO credit monitoring started in 2001 under the Fair Isaac Corporation's supervision. The company excels in providing consumers with up-to-date and accurate snapshots of their myFICO score through the myFICO app in exchange for a monthly subscription fee.
myFICO monitors one or all three major credit bureaus and uses its own FICO scoring models instead of the VantageScore model that most credit monitoring companies provide.
No free plans are available through myFICO, and a trial period doesn't exist. However, the service is one of the very few companies that offer FICO score reporting, which can differ substantially from other scoring methods.
myFICO Reviews, Ratings and Complaints
myFICO reviews generally range from good to excellent, and the company sports an A+ rating at the BBB.
At ConsumerAffairs, myFICO has 26 customer reviews with an average rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
At the Apple Store, the myFICO app has an average customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on over 26,000 reviews.
At the BBB, there are 50 or more total complaints reported against myFICO from within the last 3 years. (see details below)
We chose myFICO as the best credit monitoring service for rebuilding credit on our annual overview ranking for several reasons, including the use of FICO scores over VantageScore, three-bureau monitoring in the company's top-tier plans, and its educational website that teaches consumers how to repair and maintain their credit scores.
While the company does provide some level of protection from identity theft, credit monitoring is its main focus.
Pros
- Uses the FICO scoring platform that most lenders also use
- $1 million identity theft insurance is offered in all plans
- The company's website is geared toward ways to improve your credit scores
- 24/7 identity restoration aid is available in all plans
Cons
- The Premier plan only adds more frequent credit score updates
- The Advanced plan reduces score updating to quarterly only
- The most expensive plan may not be worth the extra cost
- Plans are generally more costly than some competitors
myFICO Features and Benefits
myFICO offers three plans with monthly subscriptions. The plans feature basic benefits through the lowest-cost program with increasing benefits through each of the top two plan offerings. The company's Basic plan is the only one that provides score reporting from just one bureau—Experian. myFICO plans generally include the following customer benefits.
One or three-bureau credit score monitoring, depending on your plan
Variable FICO model scoring for home, auto, or other personal loans and credit cards
$1 million identity theft insurance
Credit score monitoring and alerts
Identity monitoring in the top plans
24/7 help with identity restoration.
myFICO Editorial Rating
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for myFICO: 6.5
Criteria | Points |
Better Business Bureau Grade | 9 |
Trustpilot Review Rating | 0 |
Free Credit Monitoring Available | 0 |
Three-Bureau Reporting Available8 | 9 |
Best Plan Monthly Cost | 3 |
Identity Theft Features | 7 |
Credit Score Update Frequency in Lowest-Cost Plan | 2 |
Credit Score Update Frequency in Highest-Cost Plan | 2 |
Family Plan Available | 5 |
Additional Features | 10 |
Expert Opinion Score | 18 |
myFICO Plans and Prices
myFICO offers three paid subscription packages, including a Basic plan for simply keeping an eye on your general credit score to its Premier plan that features the company's best benefits.
Basic | Advanced | Premier | |
Monthly Price | $19.95 | $29.95 | $39.95 |
Features | Monthly Experian score updates using the FICO scoring model, credit monitoring and alerts, access to Experian credit report, educational website materials, multiple FICO score model reporting, $1 million identity theft insurance, and identity restoration services. | Same features as the Basic plan with the addition of three-bureau monitoring, alerts, and reporting, as well as identity monitoring and lost wallet assistance. Credit score updates are available quarterly. | Includes all lower plan features plus monthly updates from all three credit bureaus. |
Is myFICO Right for You?
myFICO may be a good fit for those looking to improve their credit scores for general reasons or to reach a goal, such as a home or automobile purchase. While the company's website is full of advice for improving your credit scores, perhaps more important is the fact that the company reports your score using the FICO model, so you can see what your potential lenders are seeing.
However, myFICO offers no free monitoring or reporting options, while some competitors offer a cost-free plan. If you're okay with putting up with heavy third-party advertising and are confident you can use the VantageScore 3.0 model as guidance, you can likely work to improve your scores for less money each month.
If you decide to go with myFICO, take some time to carefully look over the plan options and balance their monthly payments against what you're trying to achieve with your credit score monitoring and identity protection. While the plans generally offer solid benefits, their differences can make or break your experience with myFICO.
myFICO Vs. Experian
myFICO and Experian both use the FICO credit scoring model for their credit monitoring services. Each company also provides some level of identity theft protection. However, most of the similarities end there. Where myFICO provides more plan choices and service options, Experian offers a free monitoring service and member-exclusive features.
myFICO | Experian | |
Free credit monitoring plan available | No | Yes |
Credit score agency | FICO | FICO |
3-Bureau credit monitoring | Available | Available with paid subscription |
Credit score improvement advice and tools | Yes | Yes |
Credit update frequency | Monthly or quarterly | Monthly or daily |
Digital banking available | No | No |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
Family plan available | No | No |
Identity theft insurance | Yes | Yes, in a paid plan |
Lowest monthly cost | $19.95 | Free |
Highest monthly cost | $39.95 | $24.99 |
