starting my credit?

[Yoshi]

you can get your FICO from any number of places, just google "free credit report". It's (edit: I said "not", that was a type-o, sorry!) NOW the law that you can get 1 free credit report per year.

Score? now that's something else entirely. Age really has no bearing, as least not compared to other factors, it's not like insurance. Your income, revolving debt (credit cards, loans etc, but NOT student loans... that's considered "good" debt... kinda like "good" cholesterol hahaha), and equities (stocks/bonds/cars/property), and all the history connected therein are the largest factors.

60 days late on your electric bill? They know.
Paid $200 on your visa, even tho your min. payment was $50? They know.
FICO is a big cumulative score of your financial responsibility, and thus it's possible to have a score of 780 and be 18 if you're parents died and left you the house, their cars, and no real debt.

for most people tho, it's a slow process of building credit, and somethiing like 80% of people under 25 get themselves over their head in debt. Hell, my brother in law is 32 and he's declared bankruptcy twice just so he wouldn't have to pay his bills, sure his credit is fuct for the next 8 years, but he got away with not paying something like 40k in consumer debt alone *shrug*.

I was in that 80% when I was younger, but if I could go back I'd do this:
save save save! get a big wad of cash... now... ready for this? apply for a visa with a decent intro APR, they're polly screw you on your first card, so don't expect to get better than 17% after whatever intro offer they throw at u. Ready? Max that fucker out....well not completely, leave yourself some breathing room, say 15% when the first bill comes, triple your minimum payment... but NEVER let your debt exceed your cash on hand. Do this for several months and I'll bet even $ they even offer u a higher max, take it but don't use it for god sakes... you're just trying to build credit. As long as u have a balance and constant activity (buying AND paying off) it looks good to them, they're making $ off you right? what's not to like It's important NOT to pay off the whole balance (unless you have an american express, in which case, u don't have a choice)... what you're showing is budgetting responsiblity, or at least that's what they think. This concludes building your credit - beginner level 1a :P hahaha