Play the nine holes
Nine credit decisions, three clubs each. Par is 27. Each shot shows what happens and the page behind it.
Hole 1 of 9, par 3
Par 27
Read the course
You want to know what lenders see about you before you apply for anything.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| You |
Each hole is a situation people really face, with three ways to play it. Pick one and the hole plays out: the strokes it cost, what happens, and the rule behind it.
How the strokes are counted
The strokes are this site's judgment of each choice, grounded in the CFPB or FTC page the hole cites. They are not points of a credit score. Scoring models are private and differ from one another, so nothing here computes, predicts or changes a score.
Par is three on every hole. The best play on each hole is a birdie, and a round of all best plays is 18 under par.
What stays on your device
Your best round and the number of rounds you have played are kept in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere, and there is no sign-up.
Every hole, with its lesson and sources, is also on one page: the course.
Sources
- CFPB: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports? consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB: Does requesting my credit report hurt my credit score? consumerfinance.gov
- AnnualCreditReport.com, the free reports site authorized by federal law annualcreditreport.com
- CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score? consumerfinance.gov
- FTC: Fixing your credit FAQs consumer.ftc.gov
- CFPB: How will shopping for an auto loan affect my credit? consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report? consumerfinance.gov
- 15 U.S.C. 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII) law.cornell.edu
- 15 U.S.C. 1681c, requirements relating to information in consumer reports (Cornell LII) law.cornell.edu
- FTC: IdentityTheft.gov, report and recovery plan identitytheft.gov
- 15 U.S.C. 1679b, prohibited practices of credit repair organizations (Cornell LII) law.cornell.edu
- CFPB: Who are the credit invisible? (secured cards and credit builder loans) consumerfinance.gov
- FTC: Cosigning a loan FAQs consumer.ftc.gov
How this page was made
Drafted on October 25, 2026 with a language model from the sources listed, every source opened that day, and sampled by the editor after publication. Every figure is computed by the same code the calculators run. General information, not financial or legal advice: nothing here computes a credit score or answers one reader's situation. Found an error? See Corrections.