Free credit report services

Thousands of lenders know your credit score, but it's probably a mystery to you. E-Loan (www.eloan.com), an online lending company, will now tell you your score in confidence within minutes, and at no cost.

Creditors use the score as a quick gauge of how big a credit risk you are. Key factors: whether you pay your bills on time, the size of the loan you're requesting relative to your collateral, and how much you owe other lenders. The three-digit score, compiled by Fair, Isaac & Co., ranges from 300 to 900, with 80% to 85% of consumers falling between 600 and 800 (A score of 620 or higher is considered desirable.)

Critics say the raw score alone could be misleading, but E-Loan includes explanatory information on its site.