Credit karma, what is this, and how this can help you in managing your finances? Is it legit and safe, does it protect my identity, does it provide free services?
We’re going to learn and find out all these things here in this article. When it comes to managing your finances and getting them all under your control, you don’t need to have even a second thought. In fact, it must be your priority to get them in shape and living a peaceful life. It is also the priority to learn and review before making such decisions to protect you from future issues.
So let us start with;
What is credit karma?
Getting your finances under control requires knowledge and expertise and where we miss it. And credit karma fills up that gap. It is a platform that provides tools, knowledge, discussion to manage your finances. With over 100 million customers and more additions every day, credit karma has become a big community of people who seek financial knowledge and stay worry free from their finances.
Is credit karma free?
Yes, the services provided by the credit karma are completely free and they would always be free as assured by credit karma. You even don’t need to share your credit card information to sign up for its services. No membership fee, it is that simple.
Whenever, you buy something through offers of credit karma like a credit card, home loan, auto loan, credit karma gets a commission. It does not mean that you need to buy something through credit karma to enjoy its free services, because they are always free. There are also offers available on credit karma that you all may have interest in them. You have free access to essential financial advice that can help you in getting in shape your finances. You can also get the community help and ask the questions you need to know. You’re never charged for using services of credit karma.
How to use credit karma?
The use of credit karma is pretty easy and straightforward. You sign up for its services. You can then access credit reports from TransUnion and Equifax and are eligible for weekly updates.
Credit karma then makes a complete analysis of your credit profile and comes up with various offers that can help you saving money. If you find those offers interesting you can buy through credit karma. Credit Karma gets paid as a fixed commission and you access the information without any payment. You and credit karma both get benefited.
Is the score provided by credit karma accurate?
Credit Karma provides credit score and credit reports through TransUnion and Equifax so there is no chance they are inaccurate. The credit reports are provided by reliable agencies that are certified.
TransUnion and Equifax are credit rating agencies that maintain the credit history of the people. Your credit history is well monitored by them and so is reflected in your credit report.
How can I improve my credit score and get good deals on loans?
Restoring your financial health in good shapes can be easily achieved by following working tips.
1. Be regular in paying your bills: It is only you who can control your budget. If you have already planned your expenditure and spend accordingly, you’re definitely going to have enough money left for paying bills. Get them cleared before the payment due date. Late payments affect your credit score. You need to be responsible in spending money.
If you have already a backlog of many bills, then it is your priority to get out of this heck.
2. Clear all your debts: Do you possess any debt? This is the time to work on it before it becomes so large and uncontrollable. Any type of debt is not recommended, clear them as early as possible and stay debt free.
How safe my identity is on credit karma?
Credit karma has strong technical measures there to protect your identity from the external arrangement. Its security and privacy policies assure the utmost care in protecting the customers it has. I think if you can trust on them for money matters then you can also trust them for protecting your identity for misuse.
What are the different types of services that credit karma offers?
Credit Karma provides you different types of services which are essential for better credit score and its monitoring. Some of the great services which credit karma offers are:
1. Monitoring your report: Whenever there is any change in your credit report, credit karma informs you through alerts. You need to look at those changes and confirm if they are correct. If you’re doubtful you need to revert and work for necessary changes.
2. Helps in improving your credit score: Credit karma analyzes your credit report and finds out what is affecting your score. It helps you in making good changes that can help you in maintaining a good credit score.
3. Inform you of various offers and deals that can help you save a good chunk of money. You’re busy with daily chores and don’t get time to assess your financial condition.
Here credit karma helps you a lot and let you know various offers that can help in saving money in existing loans and advances.
For example, you would always like to move to a saving account which offers you more interest on your deposits. You might be paying more on your home loan, and credit karma can come up with another offer from the different lenders that could offer you loans at attractive rates. Does not it sound great? Credit Karma looks around and helps you in finding such deals. Credit karma reviews multiple agencies that offer financial products and services that help make informed and fruitful decisions.
It's your money and it must be used deliberately and carefully to produce most of it.
4. Help you in finding unclaimed money belonging to you. Chances are you have some unclaimed money which you’re not aware of. Credit karma becomes a helping hand in such cases and comes with guides and resources on how to reclaim it.
5. You can file tax for free: Through credit karma, you can file your state and federal taxes for free. The process is very easy and convenient, you log in to your credit karma account and calculate your taxes. And fill the necessary details to get your tax processed. Credit Karma guarantees 100% accuracy of tax calculations. And even if there are any errors in calculations and IRS or state tax authority imposes any penalty on you, Credit Karma Tax is ready to reimburse you up to $1000 in the forms of gift cards.
It is your one-stop platform to file all your state and federal taxes without any hidden charges and with utmost care and responsibility.
The common tax forms are supported here along with schedules for common tax situations like Schedule A, Schedule C, Schedule 8812, Schedule EIC. If you filed your taxes through different agencies last year and you want to refer now, you have an option to import from TaxAct, H&R Block, TurboTax that is an added advantage.
Another thing that adds much value to your tax filling is, Credit Karma’s 24*7 support services which resolve your queries and issues anytime you want help.
Pros and Cons of Credit Karma?
Credit karma not only provides you free financial services but there are a lot of good features that you could also enjoy which make your stay at credit karma fruitful.
1. You can have a close eye on your spending habits: You can control your expenditures through valuable services of credit karma. What you need to do is link your bank account with credit karma and start monitoring your spendings. Credit karma would analyze and help you where you’re spending more and how you can optimize it too.
2. Financial tools: You have got financial calculators and simulators all in one place that can save your time and provide you the necessary information you’re looking for. Credit score simulator, Amortization & Debt repayment calculator can be of great help in making healthy financial decisions, is not it?
Your credit score is affected and is not in a good range territory, you can simulate what could be the probable cause? The credit simulator refers to your TransUnion credit report and finds how changing important information can affect your score. However, it is all hypothetical but can help you find what and how you can improve your score.
3. Access to community help and support: Credit karma has a community and help section where most of the concerns can easily be resolved. You can also raise a query and get it answered. Here you have access to a multitude of financial knowledge and resources on the auto loan, auto insurance, personal loans, home loans. credit cards, credit reports, saving money, retirement, taxes, etc.
4. Protection from Identity: Being a credit karma customer, you are protected from your identity theft. Whenever there is any change in your credit report, credit karma notifies with the name of the company where your name is being used for credit. You get an opportunity to inform the credit companies that you’re not the person who is requesting credit.
Cons:
1. some people have mentioned they receive too many promotional emails and they are unable to locate the unsubscribe tab anywhere in the email.
2. Some people have reported that sometimes they experience delays in getting responses from the customer team.
3. The consumers have already reported slow services in the account set up and multiple account activation steps.
4. A few people have also shared their views and wrote that their credit score was reduced following the recommendations of the credit karma.
How credit karma is better than other service providers?
Your 3 digit credit score determines your financial health. And to perform healthily and enjoying all the goods, you need to work on your health. If it is not in good condition, you can’t render good services. It is same for the financial health and here credit karma helps you from a single-window platform.
So should you be using the credit karma?
There is no doubt of not using it. If you want convenience, knowledge, and tools that can help you in making better financial decisions then definitely you must go for it. With the free subscription, you can always have a close eye on your credit score which is of utmost importance.
After reviewing all the features and comparing it with similar platforms, I like to recommend it to you all.