First Bankcard Upgrades Free FICO Credit Score Program

Consumers often resolve to take steps to improve their health in the new year, but First Bankcard is offering something many of them also value highly: information to help them better manage their financial health.

In a release on January 8, the Company noted that starting this week, First Bankcard, a division of First National Bank of Omaha, is expanding a credit card program announced in November in partnership with FICO, giving cardholders with First Bankcard-issued credit cards free access to their FICO Scores, along with information on the key factors affecting their credit scores and the actions they can take to ensure good financial management habits. Credit card customers having "First National Bank of Omaha" branded credit cards were the first to receive their free FICO Scores. The program is now being extended to customers of First Bankcard's co-branded credit card partners who have credit cards issued by First Bankcard.

Cardholders of the following First Bankcard co-branded credit card partners will now have access to their free FICO Scores:

-Union Bank, N.A., headquartered in San Francisco

-New York Life Insurance Company

-Scheels All Sports, a sporting goods retailer headquartered in Fargo, N.D.

-Overstock.com, an online discount retailer headquartered in Salt Lake City

-Sheetz Inc., a chain of convenience stores headquartered in Altoona, Pa.

-MidFirst Bank, headquartered in Oklahoma City

-Technology Credit Union, headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

-Swagbucks, a Web rewards and loyalty destination headquartered in Redondo Beach, Calif.

The program will be rolled out to additional First Bankcard customers' cardholders in the coming months.

"We pride ourselves on helping customers and consumers create their own possibilities, and that is why we are excited to offer FICO credit scores as a free service," said Stephen F. Eulie, president of First Bankcard. "At a time when many people want to start the year on sound financial footing, it's clear that this program can provide valuable information to help them make better financial decisions."

Cardholders can access their scores through their secure online accounts, with all information updated monthly at no additional cost to cardholders. In addition to their credit score, cardholders receive valuable educational content to help them improve their credit knowledge and gain a broader understanding of how credit card issuers evaluate their account and creditworthiness.

The FICO Score gives lenders a snapshot of a person's credit risk based on their individual credit history. The higher the individual's score, the lower the potential credit risk. Because the score provided by First Bankcard is specific to credit card lending, it may look different from other scores cardholders may have seen from other lenders or sources.

The FICO Score, which was created by Fair Isaac Corp., is the most widely used credit score in making lending decisions in the United States. The FICO Score is calculated based solely on information in consumer credit reports maintained at consumer reporting agencies.

More information:

www.fico.com

www.fico.com/news

www.firstbankcard.com

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