Does Credit Sesame or Credit Karma Hurt My Credit?

When you sign up for Credit Sesame or Credit Karma, they will do a soft pull on your credit. This soft pull will in no way negatively affect your credit; only hard pulls hurt your credit. Continuing to monitor your credit scores through either company will not hurt your credit score either. Opening bank accounts with either company will also not impact your credit score. If you opt to use Credit Sesame’s credit building account, then this account information will be reported to the credit bureaus. Since payments cannot be late and the credit utilization is preset, this account is more likely to help your credit, not hurt it.

Is Credit Sesame Accurate?

The information Credit Sesame displays is pulled directly from your TransUnion credit report. So yes, the information is accurate. Although there can be a slight delay in when information is reported and when it appears on Credit Sesame. As far as credit score goes, Credit Sesame used the VantageScore 3.0 model. This is a widely used scoring model but not a FICO scoring model. There are many differences between the FICO vs. Vantage scoring models, which often result in very different scores. So yes, the credit score Credit Sesame displays is accurate; it just may not be the same as your FICO score.

Does Either Credit Sesame or Credit Karma Offer Free Credit Monitoring?

Yes, both Credit Sesame and Credit Karma offer 100% free credit monitoring services. They can do this partly because they send you personalized offers based on your credit. They get paid by financial institutions and credit card issuers to recommend their products (i.e., personal loans, auto loans, credit cards, etc.). Credit Sesame does offer additional credit monitoring services, i.e., full credit reports for all 3 credit bureaus, for an additional monthly fee. But this upgrade is optional, and their base credit monitoring service is free.

Is Credit Karma the Most Accurate?

Credit Karma is not necessarily more or less accurate than other credit monitoring services. Credit Karma pulls information from 2 of the 3 credit bureaus, giving you a full picture of your overall credit. For instance, if you have a credit account that only reports to Equifax, this information will be picked up and shown on Credit Karma, whereas it would not be shown on Credit Sesame since they only check TransUnion. And since Credit Karma shows you credit scores for Equifax and TransUnion, this gives you a better idea of what your credit score average might be.

Credit Karma vs Credit Sesame

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In a nutshell: Credit Karma wins as a better free credit monitoring service. However, if you’re willing to spend some money, Credit Sesame has some features worth checking out.

Credit Karma and Credit Sesame are the two most well-known companies that offer credit monitoring services. And all you need to signup is a social security number.

If you have bad credit, credit monitoring services can help you keep track of your personal finances, improve your poor credit, and avoid resorting to a credit repair company.

If you have a good credit score already, it is still important to keep on top of your credit history, especially if you need lender approval (i.e., a mortgage).

To help you choose the best company to help you manage your credit profile, we have compared the services offered by Credit Sesame versus Credit Karma.

Credit Karma vs. Credit Sesame

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