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Credit Score by Savvy Money is a comprehensive credit report monitoring program offered FREE to Acadia FCU members.

Credit Score will help you stay on top of your credit. It monitors your credit report daily and informs you by email if there are any big changes detected such as: a new account being opened, change in address or employment, if a delinquency has been reported, or an inquiry has been made. You’ll always know where you stand with your credit and how Acadia FCU can help save you money. You get your latest credit score and report, an understanding of key factors that impact the score, and can see the most up-to-date offers that can help reduce your interest costs. Monitoring will also help you keep an eye out for identity theft.

Keep an eye on your credit report and score with Acadia FCU and Savvy Money’s “Credit Score” — a FREE service for members of Acadia FCU!

What is Credit Report?

Credit Report, powered by SavvyMoney, provides you all the information you would find on your credit file including a list of open loans, accounts and credit inquiries. You will also be able to see details on your payment history, credit utilization and public records that show up on your account. When you check your credit report, there will be no impact to your score.

Is there a fee?

No. Credit Score is entirely free and no credit card information is required to register. All you need to do is opt-in to the service within your Acadia FCU Digital Banking account!

Will accessing Savvy Money’s Credit Score ‘ping’ my credit and potentially lower my credit score?

No. Checking Credit Score is a soft inquiry, which does not affect your credit score. Lenders use hard inquiries to make decisions about your credit worthiness when you apply for loans.

Does Credit Score offer credit report monitoring as well?

Yes. Credit Score will monitor and send email alerts when there’s been a change to your credit profile.

Can Members use Credit Score on mobile devices?

Yes, Credit Score is available for both mobile and tablet devices and is integrated within our mobile application. On the Mobile App, it is in the bottom navigation and may be called “Credit Score” or “Savvy Money,” depending on your device.

Will Acadia FCU use Credit Score to make loan decisions?

Yes! We do have some of our own lending criteria and credit bureau reports for decisioning a loan, but we’re happy to accept a recent screenshot of your credit score from within your “Credit Score” dashboard. Credit Score by Savvy Money is an educational program that can help you manage your credit so when it comes time to borrow for a big-ticket purchase—like buying a home, car or paying for college—you have a clear picture of your credit health and can qualify for the lowest possible interest rate.

How does Credit Score keep my financial information secure?

Credit Score uses financial institution-level encryption and security measures to keep your data safe and secure. Your personal information is never shared with or sold to a third party.

How does Credit Score differ from other credit scoring offerings?

Credit Score uses the power of Savvy Money to pull your credit profile from TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting bureaus, and uses VantageScore 3.0, a credit scoring model developed collaboratively by the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This model seeks to make score information more uniform between the three bureaus to provide consumers a better picture of their credit health.

Why do credit scores differ?

There are three major credit-reporting bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion—and two scoring models—FICO or VantageScore—that determine credit scores. Financial institutions use different bureaus, as well as their own scoring models. Over 200 factors of a credit report may be considered when calculating a score and each model may weigh credit factors differently, so no scoring model is completely identical. No matter what credit bureau or credit scoring model is used, consumers do fall into specific credit ranges: Excellent 781–850, Good 661-780, Fair 601-660, Unfavorable 501-600, Bad – Below 500.

What if the information provided by Credit Score appears to be wrong or inaccurate?

Credit Score makes its best effort to show you the most relevant information from your credit report. If you think that some of the information is wrong or inaccurate, we encourage you to take advantage of obtaining free credit reports from the Annual Credit Report website, and then pursuing action with each bureau individually. Each bureau has its own process for correcting inaccurate information but every user can file a dispute by clicking on the “Start a Dispute” link at the bottom of the Credit Report screen.

Can a Joint Account holder also use Credit Score?

Credit Score pulls the credit score based on the information of the primary account holder. If a joint account holder would like to benefit from this service, they should open an Acadia FCU savings account where they are the primary account holder.

2 Comments

  • Shelley Gilman

    I see Credit Score has no fee, doesn’t hurt my credit, and is secure. Is there any down side to using Credit Score?

    • Posted by: Alison Smart

      Hi Shelley,

      I think it’s safe to say that there’s no down side! We very thoroughly vetted this service prior to implementation and the bulk of our staff have been using it since it was first launched in 2022.

      It really helps people to keep a close eye on things. Last year, one of our staff members was even alerted of a situation where a fraudster was attempting to open a credit card in her name. She was able to act quickly, put a freeze on her account, and handle the situation before it got completely out of hand. This is just one example.

      Don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have further questions or concerns!

      Alison Smart, Marketing Manager
      asmart@acadiafcu.org

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