Credit Karma FAQs

At Credit Karma we do our best to help you find a good financial offer for you -- but because the application you make is with one of our marketing partners and not us, we don't know the status of your pending application. On Credit Karma, we show you offers from our marketing partners, but when you apply you are submitting your application to the specific lender. Processing times vary, depending on the lender. The best way to learn more about the status of your application is to reach out to the lender directly.

Another thing to keep in mind when applying, is that once a lender has made a decision on your application, it can take up to a month for the updated information to appear on your credit reports.

Youll need a 1095-A if you or someone in your household is enrolled in a Marketplace healthcare plan. To get a copy of your 1095-A online, log in to your HealthCare.gov account.

These states have their own marketplace sites where you can get your 1095-A online:

California

Colorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Idaho

Maryland

Massachusetts

Minnesota

New York

Rhode Island

Vermont

Washington

Use Identity Monitoring on Credit Karma to check ifyou'vebeen involved in a data breach.

If you discover that your information has been exposed in a data breach,don'tpanic! Here are some steps you can take to better protect your personal information going forward:

Change your passwords

Hackers and fraudsters may use the exposed password to try to gain access to other accounts, so it's important to change the exposed password anywhere it's used.

If you don't know what the password is or where else you use it, start by making sure you have different passwords for any accounts that contain sensitive info, such as a banking app or email account. Repeating the same password for more than one account can make it easier for a hacker to access your information. You should also avoid reusing any security questions or password hints going forward.

Learn more about how to create and protect a strong password.

Lock or freeze your credit reports

If someone has enough of your personal information, they may try to use it to apply for new credit cards or loans using your name. Placing a lock or freeze on your credit reports could prevent that from happening. If your credit is locked or frozen at all 3 of the main credit bureaus, lenderswon'tbe able to access your credit reports for new applications for new financial accounts.

With that said, remember to unlock and/or unfreeze your credit report with all three main credit bureaus before you apply for a new financial product, such as a mortgage, loan or credit card. And remember if you still want to keep the freeze or lock on to place it again once after the application process.

You can check if your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports are frozen or locked on Credit Karma here.

Review your financial accounts for suspicious activity

You should regularly check your bank accounts, credit reports, and any other account for any suspicious transactions, inquiries, or new accounts. Unfamiliar activity could be a red flag for identity theft.

If you notice fraudulent charges, contact the bank or credit card company to let them know that your account has been compromised. Dispute any fraudulent charges or accounts, and request that the company send you confirmation of your dispute inquiry in writing, for your records.

Check your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports on Credit Karma here.

Request new credit cards or PIN numbers

If your credit or debit card was compromised, you may need to cancel the card and request a new card, or request a new PIN from your bank. Ask your bank or credit card company about any free fraud protection services they might offer for victims of identity theft.

File a report with the FTC

If you are a victim of identity theft, youll want to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at identitytheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. Please note,this can be a lengthy process.

If your personal info has been compromised by a data breach, you may also want to read the article: 6 steps to take after identity theft.

The Mortgage Interest Credit and the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction are tax breaks tied to the purchase of a primary residence through use of a mortgage. However, since one is a deduction and the other a credit, they work in fundamentally different ways:

Tax deductions reduce your taxable income

Tax credits directly reduce the amount of tax that you owe

Credits can be refundable (meaning they reduce your tax liability and any excess can be refunded to you, even if youdon'towe taxes this year or wouldnt be receiving a refund otherwise) or non-refundable (meaning they can reduce your tax liability but not more than the total amount of taxes you owe for the year).

Home Mortgage Interest Deduction

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Mortgage Interest Paid

The Home Mortgage Interest Deduction is generally available to any homebuyer, regardless of income, who has a secured mortgage (on a qualified home) and itemizes their deductions on the Schedule A.

As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017 tax reform), you may only deduct mortgage interest on up to $750,000 of qualified mortgage debt incurred to buy or improve a first or second residence. It also generally eliminates the allowance of mortgage interest deductions on up to $100,000 of home equity debt.(There are some exceptions for grandfathered debts.) Source: irs.gov

Mortgage Interest Credit

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Mortgage Interest Credit

The Mortgage Interest Credit is intended to help lower-income people afford home ownership.You may qualify for the Mortgage Interest Credit, (paid per year, up to $2,000) if your state or local Housing Finance Agency issued you a qualified Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) when you purchased your main home with a mortgage. Source: irs.gov

You may be able to claim both the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction and the Mortgage Interest Credit, but you will have to reduce the amount of your deduction by the amount of the credit. Credit Karma Tax will calculate this amount based on your entries.

Generally, Social Security Income (SSI) is not taxable. However, a portion of your SSI may be taxable if you have other income in addition to what you receive from Social Security. Other income can include wages, self-employment, interest, dividends or other taxable income that you report on your tax return.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Social Security Benefits

Credit Karma Tax will determine if your SSI is taxable by using your combined income and comparing it with the base amount allowed for your filing status.Source: ssa.gov

To find out if your SSI affects your tax return:

Using the information found on your Form SSA-1099, fill in the fields on our Social Security Benefits page.

Well calculate your taxable SSI, if any, based on the information you provide and the IRS rules.

You can review your tax forms to see how your SSI affects your tax return.

If your state charges personal property taxes as part of your vehicle registration fee, you can deduct only the portion that is based on the value of your vehicle. The fee must be assessed on an annual basis.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Taxes Paid

You can check with your states DMV or review your billing statement to get a breakdown of the fees and what each was for. Many states will charge fees based on the weight and the value, among other things but you can only deduct the portion of the fee associated with value.Source: irs.gov

My Balances has shut down.

With the end of My Balances, all of your linked accounts will be removed. Keep in mind:

None of your bank login or password information will be saved.

Youll lose access to the My Balances page, and all of the historical data that waspreviously on this page.

If you're enrolled in our daily balance alert notifications through our Android or iOS mobile app, these notifications will be discontinued.

You will still have access to your accounts and credit reports as provided by Equifax and TransUnion.

This wasn't an easy decision, but we're excited to rethink this feature in order to make something even better for our members. Please continue to enjoy all the other great features here on Credit Karma!

In November 2018, Credit Karma announced our acquisition of Noddle, a U.K. credit scoring company. You can read more about this exciting acquisition on our blog: Credit Karma Expands to U.K.

Since then, Noddle has rebranded to become Credit Karma. If you reside in the U.K., you can access Credit Karma at: https://creditkarma.co.uk

Existing Noddle members still have access to their free credit reports. Click here to read the Credit Karma U.K. FAQ.

If youre a Credit Karma member residing in the U.K. and looking for support, please send an email to our U.K. based support team at [email protected].

Use Identity Monitoring on Credit Karma to check ifyou'vebeen involved in a breach.

We share all of the information on the data breaches that we have, but sometimes certain info isn't available -- like the site name and breach details.

This may happen for three reasons:

The breach is part of an ongoing investigation.

Most data breaches are the result of alleged criminal activity, so sharing those details about a breach too early might compromise the investigation or legal proceedings. Well share the info for these breaches in the future if more info becomes available.

Wedon'tknow the name of the breach.

Even if wedon'tknow the source of the breach, well share all the information that we have with you. Well update the details of the breach if more information becomes available.

The breached site could be considered controversial, and the details are hidden to respect your privacy.

An example of this could be sites like Ashley Madison. Since some adult-themed websitesdon'trequire you to verify your identity during account creation, its possible that someone may have made an account using your email address without your knowledge.

While it might confuse you to see a nameless breach, we believe you should know if your personal info was exposed and that theres potential that someone may try to use it to steal your identity. If your personal info has been involved in a breach, you may also want to read the article: 6 steps to take after identity theft.

As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017 tax reform): you can only deduct casualty losses that took place in a federally declared disaster area.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Casualty and/or Thefts

A federally declared disaster areas are declared by the President of the United States to be eligible for federal aid under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Some recent examples include areas that were affected by Hurricanes Maria, Irma, Harvey and Florence or areas affected by the California Wildfires. The IRS provides a list of eligible federally declared disaster areas in their page on Tax Relief in Disaster Situations.

The amount of loss must be reduced by any salvage value and/or reimbursement you receive or expect to receive from insurance, federal and/or state relief, etc.Source: irs.gov

Note: Some states still allow you to deduct losses related to:

Car accidents

Earthquakes

Fires

Floods

Government ordered demolition of a home that is unsafe because of a disaster

Mine cave-ins

Shipwrecks

Sonic booms

Storms (such as hurricanes and tornadoes)

Terrorist attacks

Vandalism

Volcanic eruptions

If you had casualty loss in 2018 you should still enter your info on Credit Karma Tax to see if you qualify for a deduction for these items on your state return.

When you compare your TransUnion and Equifax reports on Credit Karma, you may notice that certain information, such as your credit card balances or limits, may not match exactly.

Here are a few reasons why your reports may differ:

Lenders report to different bureaus at different times.

At Credit Karma, your reports can be updated weekly, but keep in mind that while many lenders report to the bureaus, theydon'talways report to each bureau at the same time.

A lender might not report to both TransUnion and Equifax

Some lenders choose to report to all three major consumer credit bureaus, while others may report to just one or two. If youre wondering whether this is the case, contact the lender directly to ask.

There may be an error in one of your credit reports.

The reports you see on Credit Karma may not be exactly the same, but they should at least be accurate. Keeping in mind the reasons above, double-check you TransUnion and Equifax credit reports to make sure thereisn'tany incorrect information.

If you find incorrect information on your credit reports, check out these resources for guidance:

I found incorrect information on my TransUnion credit report

I found incorrect information on my Equifax credit report

If you need to make any adjustments to your federal tax return, you may need to file an amended return. Generally, youdon'tneed to file an amended return for any math errors on your return. The IRS will typically correct math errors automatically and will send a request if they require you submit any additional documentation.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Start Amended Return

Credit Karma Tax no longer supports preparing amended returns for 2017 or earlier tax years. If you need to amend your 2017 or earlier tax return, you should print a copy of the original return and file your amended return with the IRS or state tax authority. You can review Topic Number 308 - Amended Returns from irs.gov for more information about federal returns or check with your states tax authority for how to file an amended state return.

When do I need to file an amendment? Deadline to amend your federal tax return Wheres the refund from my amended return? Where do I send my amended return? IRS Contact Information

When do I need to file an amendment?

You may need to file an amended return if there are any changes to your:

Filing status

Income

Deductions

Credits

Use Form 1040X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) to correct any previously filed return, or if you are claiming any carryback due to a loss or unused credit

There may be special rules that apply to refund claims relating to:

Net operating loss

Foreign tax credits

Bad debts

Other issues

Please note:

You can't file an amended tax return electronically under the e-file system

Include any form or schedules affected by the change or that support changes made on your return.

This may include a Form W-2 received after the original filing, a Form W-2G or 1099 if income tax was withheld, or any other forms or schedules.

You will need to to file a separate Form 1040X for each tax year you're amending. Mail each Form 1040X in a separate envelope.

Be sure to enter the year of the return you're amending at the top of Form 1040X

The form has three columns:

Column A shows original figures (the original return) or adjusted figures (prior amendments or exam changes)

Column C shows the corrected figures (what they should be)

Column B is the difference between Columns A and C

A change to your federal tax return may affect your state tax liability. Generally, if you are amending your federal tax return, you should also file an amended state return.

Deadline to amend your federal tax return

If you are claiming a tax refund with an amended federal tax return, the IRS typically requires the amended return to be filed within 3 years of the filing date of the original tax return (including extensions), or within 2 years of the date you paid the tax, whichever is later. How long will it take the IRS to process my amended federal tax return?It typically takes the IRS up to 16 weeks to process amended returns from the date your Form 1040X is received by the IRS via postal mail.

Wheres the refund from my amended return?

You can check the status of your Form 1040X (PDF) using the Where's My Amended Return? online tool or the toll-free telephone number 866-464-2050 three weeks after you file your amended return.

Once your amended return has been processed (up to 16 weeks), you will receive any additional refund you are owed.

If it has been over 16 weeks and you still have not received your amended refund check, you can find more information about your refund by calling the IRS customer support line at 1-800-829-1040.

The IRS can only research your return if it has been over 16 weeks since you mailed it or if the Where's My Amended Return? online tool directs you to call

The IRS may contact you if they find errors on your amended return.

Tip: When calling the IRS customer support line, you can press 1 (for English), then press 0 (zero), and you should be able to talk to a live person at the IRS. The best time to reach the IRS is between 7-9 AM and 6-7 PM, Monday-Friday.

Where do I send my amended return?

When mailing a Form 1040X to file an amended federal tax return:

Remember to sign your amended return before you mail it to the IRS!

If the changes involve any additional forms or schedules, attach that schedule or form to the amended return

If your amended return is claiming an additional refund, you should typically wait until you have received your original refund before filing Form 1040X. You may cash that check while waiting for any additional refund.

For residents of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas:

Department of the TreasuryInternal Revenue Service CenterAustin, TX 73301-0052

For residents of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming:

Department of the TreasuryInternal Revenue Service CenterFresno, CA 93888-0422

For residents of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia:

Department of the TreasuryInternal Revenue Service CenterKansas City, MO 64999-0052

IRS Contact Information

You can contact the IRS by phone at 800-829-1040

People with hearing impairments can call 800-829-4059 ( TDD )

In certain areas, the IRS has local offices you may visit to receive face-to-face assistance. All offices operate by appointment

There are also many IRS resources available online and you are encouraged to use these prior to calling the IRS or making an appointment at a local office

Your screen name is what other users see if you choose to post in the Credit Karma Community forums or Credit Karma Member Reviews. When youre choosing a screen name, make sure it doesnt reveal any personally identifiable information.

You can locate or create your screen name under Profile and Settings within your P ublic Profile. If youd like to change your existing screen name, get in touch with our support team. Changing your screen name will not change your login information.

Credit Karma Tax can help with e-filing in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

At Credit Karma Tax, you must successfully file a federal return before you can file a state return. Wedon'tsupport filing only a state return.

If we support the tax forms you need and your situation, we can walk you through e-filing your state and federal returns.

We are not yet open for preparing and filing state tax returns for 2019.

Credit Karma is here to help make financial progress possible for you! When you visit Credit Karma, well show you personalized recommendations for financial products. If you take one of these recommendations from our site, our partner will usually pay us. For example, this could be the bank that issues a credit card you applied for or the lender of the personal loan.

We want our recommendations to provide value to you whether in savings, rewards or debt relief and we choose financial partners that share our mission. Wedon'tcharge you a dime and wedon'tsell or share your personal information with unaffiliated third parties for their own advertising or marketing purposes.

Learn more about how Credit Karma works here.

Sign up for an account to get started with Credit Karma now!

Credit Karma Tax supports the most-common federal tax forms and schedules. You can check out the complete list of forms we support here.

But wecan'tdo everything just yet. These are some forms and situations that Credit Karma Tax does not support this year.

What if Ican'tfile my state return with Credit Karma Tax?

If wedon'tsupport your specific state situation, keep in mind that you can still file your Federal return with Credit Karma Tax.

Form or situation

What its for

Part-year state returns

You, or your spouse if married filing jointly, lived in a state for only part of the year.

Multiple state returns

You, or your spouse if married filing jointly, earned income in more than one state last year.

Nonresident state returns

You earned income from a state you werent a resident of. This could include wages, rental income, or S-corp or partnership income.

Married filing separately in community property states (state returns)

If you live in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas* or Wisconsin) and youre filing as married filing separately, we won't be able to help prepare your state tax return. You can still file your federal taxes for free.

*Texas doesnt require state income taxes. See the 7 states thatdon'trequire a state income tax here.

Part-Year New York City Tax Returns or Part-Year Yonkers City Tax Returns

You resided in New York City or Yonkers during part of the tax year.

1040-PR

You are self-employed and residing in Puerto Rico.

Filing state taxes without filing federal taxes

On Credit Karma Tax, you can file your federal taxes with or without filing state taxes, but it doesnt work the other way around no state filing without federal.

Specific Forms not supported

If you require one of these forms for your return, unfortunately you will not be able to file your federal or state taxes with Credit Karma Tax this year.

Form or situation

What it's for

Earned Income Credit with Non-Dependents

Youre using a qualifying child who is not your dependent for purposes of claiming the Earned Income Credit.

Clergy member tax filings (e.g., ministers or pastors)

Members of the clergy can take advantage of special tax rules and exemptions.

Schedule J, Income Averaging for Farmers and Fishermen

You want to average your fishing or farming taxable income over the previous 3 years.

Schedule K-1 - Estate and Trust income

You received a K-1 from an estate or trust for the tax year.

Form 1040NR - Nonresident alien federal tax return

Generally for nonresident aliens of the U.S. engaged in a trade or business in the U.S.

Form 1116 - Foreign Tax Credit

Allows you to claim a credit for certain foreign taxes accrued or paid to a foreign country or U.S. possession.

Form 2555 - Foreign Earned Income

This form determines your foreign earned income exclusion and your housing exclusion or deduction.

Form 2210 - Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts

You didnt withhold or pay enough taxes during the tax year. If youre unsure if this form applies to you, the IRS provides a flowchart at the beginning of the form to help you determine if you need to file this form.

Form 8332 - Release of Claim to Exemption for Child by Custodial Parent

Releasing a claim to an exemption for your child so that a non-custodial parent can claim it, or revoking a previous release of a claim to a child exemption.

Form 8615 - Tax for Certain Children Who Have Unearned Income

Required in certain situations where your child had unearned income of less than $2,100 for the year.

Form 8864 - Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Fuels Credit

You want to claim credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels sold or used in the tax year.

Form 8885 - Health Coverage Tax Credit

You want to claim the Health Coverage Tax Credit.

Form 8903 - Domestic Production Activities Deduction

For large and small businesses, or other eligible individuals or entities, who produce their goods or work in the United States.

This deduction has been repealed or tax years beginning after 2017.

Form 8915A - Qualified 2016 Disaster Retirement Plan Distributions and Repayments

If you were adversely affected by a 2016 disaster and received a qualifying distribution for favorable tax treatment.

Form 8915B - Qualified 2017 Disaster Retirement Plan Distributions and Repayments

If you were adversely affected by a 2017 disaster and received a qualifying distribution for favorable tax treatment.

You can sign up for Credit Karma if youre 18 or older. If you just turned 18 and are having trouble registering, you may need to wait until a month or so after your birthday to give the credit bureaus time to update your information.

If youre new to credit, you may want to read up on how to build credit from scratch.

If youre under 18 or a parent looking to protect your childs identity, you can read more about reducing your childs risk of identity theft.

The Credit Karma mobile app is available for iOS and Android!

You can download the Credit Karma mobile app using the following links:

On the App Store for iOS

On Google Play for Android

While the Credit Karma mobile app is compatible with many devices, the app is not currently compatible with Windows phones, tablets and some large resolution phones.

If you are unable to download the Credit Karma mobile app, you can still access the mobile web version of our site by going to creditkarma.com on your mobile browser.

How do I change my settings for logging into the mobile app?

Depending on the device you have, you may have an option to login to the mobile app with one or more of the following:

PIN (Personal Identification Number)

Touch ID

Face ID

Tap the gear icon at the upper right corner of the app to go to the Settings page, where you can adjust your mobile app login settings.

Note: If you log out of your account on the app, youll be prompted to enter your email address and password the next time you open the app.

Im running into some issues using the mobile app. What should I do?

If you run into issues while using the Credit Karma mobile app first check the App Store or Google Play to see if you are using the latest version of the app. If there are no updates to install, you may also want to try deleting the app, then reinstalling it.

Ifyou'vetried the above steps and the issue continues to persist, please reach out to Member Support and include the model of your mobile device so we can investigate further.

Form W-2 includes federal, state, social security, and other tax information. The W-2 is used by both small businesses and large corporations to let their employees know how much tax was withheld from their paychecks over the year. Employers are expected to provide a paper or electronic W-2 to their employees.

Click here to import or add your W-2 to Credit Karma Tax.

Boxes A-F should already be filled out by your employer with identifying information including: your Social Security number, your employers tax ID number or EIN, employers address, your legal name, and your address.

The numbered boxes on your W-2 record your wages and taxes withheld from your wages during the year. Learn more about what each box stands for:

Box 1: Total Taxable Wages Box 2: Federal Income Taxes Withheld Box 3: Social Security Wages Box 4: Social Security Tax Withheld Box 5: Medicare Wages and Tips Box 6: Medicare Tax Withheld Box 7: Social Security Tips Box 8: Allocated Tips Box 9: Blank Box 10: Dependent Care Benefits Box 11: Nonqualified Plans Box 12: Letter Codes Box 13: Statutory Employee, Retirement Plan, and Third Party Sick Pay Box 14: Other Box 15: Employers State and State Tax ID Box 16: State Wages Box 17: State Income Taxes Box 18: Local Wages Box 19: Local Withheld Taxes Box 20: Local Name

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Box 1: Total Taxable Wages

Box 1 is your total taxable wages including your salary, wages, tips, bonuses, and other taxable compensation. Box 1 doesnt include any pre-tax benefits, such as 401(k) plan contributions.

Box 2: Federal Income Taxes Withheld

This is the total amount of federal income tax that has been withheld from your paychecks for the year. This is based on information you provided in your federal W-4.

Box 3: Social Security Wages

This box reports the total amount of your wages that are subject to Social Security tax.

Heads up: If the total of boxes 3 and 7 exceed $132,900 (the 2019 maximum social security wage base ) you should consult with your employer.

Box 4: Social Security Tax Withheld

Box 4 reflects the total amount that has been withheld from your wages for social security taxes.

Box 5: Medicare Wages and Tips

Box 5 is the amount of your wages that are subject to the Medicare Tax.

Box 6: Medicare Tax Withheld

This is the total amount that has been withheld from your paychecks for the Medicare tax.

Box 7: Social Security Tips

This box contains any tip income you have reported to your employer. Box 7 may be empty if you didn't report any tips.

Box 8: Allocated Tips

This is any tip income that was allocated to you by your employer. Box 8 may be empty.

If there is an amount in box 8, you usually need to include the amount in your taxable wages and may need to pay Social Security and Medicare tax on the amount. You can read IRS Publication 531 for more information.

Box 9: Blank

Box 9 is no longer in use and should remain blank.

Box 10: Dependent Care Benefits

This box is the total dependent care benefits that your employer paid to you or incurred on your behalf. If the value is over $5,000 (or $2,500 if married filing separately), it will also be included in Box 1. You may be taxed on all or part of your dependent care benefits based on the information you include on Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Expenses). Form 2441 is part of the Dependent Care Credit section of Credit Karma Tax.

For more information about this process, check out Publication 503 to determine who qualifies as a dependent and what expenses are eligible.

Box 11: Nonqualified Plans

This is any amount that has been distributed to you from your employer's non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The amount in Box 11 is already included as taxable wages in Box 1.

Box 12: Letter Codes

Make sure to enter the correct values and codes shown in Box 12 of your W-2 to help ensure you pay the correct amount of taxes. Here are some common codes you may find on your W-2, box 12:

AA: Designated Roth contributions under a section 401(k) plan

BB: Designated Roth contributions under a section 403(b) plan

C: Taxable cost of group-term life insurance over $50,000

DD: Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage

D: Elective deferrals under a section 401(k) cash or deferred arrangement plan (including a SIMPLE 401(k) arrangement)

EE: Designated Roth contributions under a governmental section 457(b) plan

E: Elective deferrals under a section 403(b) salary reduction agreement

F: Elective deferrals under a section 408(k)(6) salary reduction SEP

G: Elective deferrals and employer contributions (including nonelective deferrals) to a section 457(b) deferred compensation plan

H: Elective deferrals to a section 501(c)(18)(D) tax-exempt organization plan

J: Nontaxable sick pay

R: Employer contributions to an Archer MSA

S: Employee salary reduction contributions under a section 408(p) SIMPLE plan

T: Adoption benefits

W: Employer contributions to an employees health savings account (HSA)

Y: Deferrals under a section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation plan

If your W-2 has a code thatisn'tlisted here, see the instructions that came with your W-2 form or see the W-2 and W-3 Instructions.

Box 13: Statutory Employee, Retirement Plan, and Third Party Sick Pay

Box 13 contains three check boxes: Statutory Employee, Retirement Plan, and Third Party Sick Pay.

Statutory Employee:

This box will be checked off if you are a statutory employee. If so, your wages should not be subject to federal or state income tax withholding. However, your wages will still be subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. Retirement Plan:

This box will be checked off if you were an active participant in certain retirement plans during the tax year. This includes a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE-IRA, or another specified type of pension plan.

Third Party Sick Pay:

This box will be checked off if you received third-party sick pay from a third-party or the employer is reporting sick pay from a third-party.

Box 14: Other

This box is for remaining information provided by employers that doesnt fall under an other category. Some items you may see here are state disability insurance taxes withheld, union dues, health insurance premiums deducted, etc.

Depending on the item, it may also be reported on another part of your tax return. For example, health insurance premiums listed on box 14 of your W-2 will flow to Schedule A line 5, (medical expenses).

The value in Box 14 (if any) depends on the type of information reported by your employer. Your employer should label each item listed in Box 14. If youre confused about whats reported in Box 14 on your W-2, you can contact your employer or the issuer of your W-2 form.

Box 15: Employers State and State Tax ID

This box is for your employers state and state tax identification number.

Box 16: State Wages

This is the total amount of your wages that is subject to state tax.

Box 17: State Income Taxes

Box 17 contains the total amount that has been withheld from your paychecks for state income taxes, based on the wages amount reported in Box 16. This is based on the information you provided to your employer in your state W-4.

Box 18: Local Wages

This is the total amount of wages that are subject to local taxes.

Box 19: Local Withheld Taxes

Box 19 contains the total amount withheld from your paychecks for local taxes.

Box 20: Local Name

Box 20 provides the name of the locality that withheld taxes.

If youre confused about whats reported in Box 20 on your W-2, you can contact your employer or the issuer of your W-2 form.

You can search for loan offers with your Credit Karma account and sort by annual percentage rate, loan amount or monthly payment. Credit Karma shows you offers from lenders we partner with, but we are not a lender. If you choose to apply for a personal loan you found on Credit Karma, youll be taken directly to the lenders website to continue the application process.

Its common for lenders to ask for your bank account information during a personal loan application. This is so the funds can be electronically deposited directly into your bank account.

The time it takes to make a decision on your application varies depending on the lender. If you have additional questions or concerns regarding the application process, you may want to reach out to the lender directly for additional information.

Which personal loan should I apply for?

As you review offers, please keep in mind that we can't know if lenders will approve or deny applications. However, we do the best we can to help you narrow down your choices.

Interest rates and fees can make a big difference in how much you pay over the life of a loan, and they vary widely from lender to lender. Here are some things to consider:

Interest rates: Rates typically range from around 5% - 36%. In general, the better your credit, the lower your interest rate will be. And the longer your loan term, the more interest youre likely to pay over the course of your loan.

Origination fees: Some lenders charge a fee for the cost of processing the loan and paying out the funds. Origination fees typically range from 1%- 8% of the loan amount.

Prepayment penalties: Some lenders charge a fee if you pay off your loan early because early repayment may mean that the lender may be concerned with missing out on some of the interest that they would have otherwise earned.

You may also want to read these articles for additional insight:

6 things you should know about personal loans

Should I get a personal loan?

Does shopping for a personal loan on Credit Karma hurt my score?

Checking your credit reports and looking for offers on Credit Karma doesnt affect your credit scores.But when you apply for a loan, the lender will pull your credit as part of the application process. This is known as a hard inquiry and may lower your credit scores. Hard inquiries generally stay on your credit reports for about two years.

We support all the common forms and schedules, and our life events format can help you figure out what information you need to provide.

Keep in mind: Wecan'tdo everything just yet. Notably, wedon'tsupport foreign earned income, married filing separately returns in community property states, or state filing without a federal filing. We also don't support multiple state filings, part-year state filing, or non-resident state filing. We support state filing if you, and your spouse if married filing jointly, lived and worked in one state for all of the tax year.

Take a look at the list below of forms we generally support. If youre not seeing one of your forms here, check out the list of forms and situations that wewon'tsupport this year.

Common forms or schedules

W-2 Wages and Tax Statement

W-2G Certain Gambling Winnings

1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

1040-V Payment Voucher

1040X Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement

1095-B Health Coverage

1095-C Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage

1098 Mortgage Interest Statement

1098-C Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats and Airplanes

1098-E Student Loan Interest Statement

1098-T Tuition Statement

1099-DIV Dividends and Distributions

1099-G Certain Government Payments

1099-INT Interest Income

1099-OID Original Issue Discount

1099-R Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement, etc.

1099-A Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property

1099-B Proceeds from Broker Transactions

1099-C Cancellation of Debt

1099-K Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions

1099-MISC Miscellaneous Income

1099-Q Payments From Qualified Education Programs

1099-SA Distributions from an HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA

Schedule 1: Additional Income and Adjustments to Income

Schedule 2: Tax

Schedule 3: Non-refundable Credits

Schedule 4: Other Taxes

Schedule 5: Other Payments and Refundable Credits

Schedule A Itemized Deductions (e.g., medical and mortgage expenses)

Schedule B Interest and Ordinary Dividends

Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)

Schedule D Capital Gains and Losses

Schedule E Supplemental Income and Loss, including rental property

Schedule F Profit or Loss from Farming

Schedule H - Household Employment Taxes

Schedule K-1 (Partnership and S corps) Partners Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc.

Schedule R Credit for Elderly or Disabled

Schedule SE Self-Employment Tax

Schedule EIC Earned Income Credit

Schedule 8812 Child Tax Credit

SSA-1099 Social Security Benefit Statement

RRB-1099 Railroad Retirement Benefits

982 Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness

1310 Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer

2106 Employee Business Expenses

2441 Child and Dependent Care Expenses

3468 Investment Credit

3800 General Business Credit

3903 Moving Expenses

4136 Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels

4137 Tax on Unreported Tip Income

4562 Depreciation and Amortization

4684 Casualties and Theft

4797 Sales of Business Property

4835 Farm Rental Income and Expenses

4868 Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File

4952/AMT AMT Investment Interest Expense Deduction/Investment Interest Expense Deduction

4972 Tax on Lump-Sum Distributions

5329 Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (including IRAs)

5405 First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit

5695 Residential Energy Credits

5884 Work Opportunity Credit

6198 At-Risk Limitations

6251 Alternative Minimum Tax

6252 Installment Sale Income

6478 Biofuel Producer Credit

6781 Gains/Losses from Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles

8283 Non-cash Charitable Contributions

8379 Injured Spouse Allocation

8396 Mortgage Interest Credit

8453 U.S. Individual Income Tax Transmittal for an IRS E-File Return

8582 Passive Activity Loss Limitations (included in relevant sections)

8586 Low-Income Housing Credit

8606 Nondeductible IRAs

8801 Credit for Prior Year Minimum Tax

8824 Like-Kind Exchange

8829 Expenses for Business Use of Your Home

8834 Qualified Electric Vehicle Credit

8839 Qualified Adoption Expenses

8853 Archer MSAs and Long-Term Care Insurance Contracts

8859 Carryforward of D.C. First-Time Homebuyer Credit

8862 Information To Claim Certain Credits After Disallowance

8863 Education Credits

8880 Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions

8888 Direct Deposit of Refund

8889 Health Savings Account

8910 Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit

8919 Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages

8936 Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit

8941 Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums

8949 Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets

8959 Additional Medicare Tax (calculates automatically)

8960 Net Investment Income Tax

8962 Premium Tax Credit

8965 Health Coverage Exemptions

9465 Installment Agreement Request

If youdon'thave your W-2, reach out to your employer as soon as possible to see if they can provide you with another copy. Employers have until January 31st to send out all W-2s to their employees.

What ifI'mhaving trouble getting in touch with my employer?

If its already near the end of February, and you havent heard back from your employer yet, contact the IRS directly to let an IRS agent know you havent received your W-2. The IRS will try to contact the employer by mail to request a W-2 on your behalf. You can contact an IRS agent by calling in at 800-829-1040 or schedule an appointment through the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.

To plan ahead for your phone call, have the following pieces of information on hand:

Your name, full mailing address, phone number, and social security number (SSN)

Your employers name, full mailing address, and phone number

If possible, your employers identification number (EIN)

If the IRS is unable to get a response from my employer, do I still file my return even though I didnt get a W-2?

You can still file your taxes with us, even if youdon'thave a W-2. Here are a few options to consider:

File for an extension: a six-month extension will give you more time to recover the missing W-2.

If you file for an extension, you will still need to make sure to pay any taxes due by the filing deadline or you could owe interest and penalties on the amount you owe. The IRS provides more information and resources for taxpayers filing for an extension with Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

Use Form 4852 which serves as a substitute W-2. You can use this form if your employer doesnt give you your W-2 before the filing deadline. This option will require you to try estimating the amount of wages and taxes withheld as best as you can.

You can enter the same information you filled out on Form 4852 into Credit Karma Tax in place of your W-2.

Ifyou'vereceive your missing W-2 afteryou'vefiled, check to see if the information matches up with what you reported on your tax return. If the amounts are different, you can file an amended return with us later.Source: irs.gov

When applying for a new credit card, consider what your primary purpose and priorities are for the card. Knowing your spending habits before applying for a new card, as well as whether you will pay off your card every month or carry a balance, can help you in your search for the card that best suits you.

Different cards offer different rewards, so youll want to think about what your financial goals are. For example, you may want to:

Build your credit

Pay less interest

Transfer a balance

Earn cash back

Earn travel rewards

For more information, you can read this article: What is the best credit card for me?

You might also see badges for Approval Odds on certain card offers. Remember, its up to the lender to make the final decision to approve or decline your application. However, we hope this information may help you narrow down your choices.

You may also find it helpful to see reviews by other cardholders about the cards you are considering.

We teamed up with LevelCredit, formerly known as CreditPop, to provide the opportunity to connect your monthly rent payments to your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports as new tradelines. Also, if connected, you will be able to connect your monthly utility payments to your Equifax credit report only. The data on these new tradelines may have an impact your credit scores

.LevelCredit is a RentTrack company. The Rent & Utility Reporting feature may not appear for you, as it is currently being piloted to only a handful of members at this time. Review the LevelCredit FAQ here.

Jump-to a specific section of this article:

What is Rent & Utility Reporting and how does this work on Credit Karma? How can Rent & Utility Reporting affect my credit scores? How do I begin the Rent & Utility reporting process? My scores didnt change the way I wanted it to. How can I opt out from this? Can I report past rent payments? What if LevelCreditcan'tfind my payment? Why does my tradeline say RentTrack? Can I report only my utilities? I submitted my information but was told I was ineligible. Why? Who do I contact if I see incorrect information or errors on my Rent and/or Utility tradelines on my credit reports?

----

What is Rent & Utility Reporting and how does this work on Credit Karma?

If you pay regular monthly bills for rent, these monthly payments can be added to your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports. Credit Karma has teamed up with LevelCredit, formerly known as CreditPop, to provide you with a free option for the first 12 months to add your rent payments to your Equifax and TransUnion reports.

LevelCredit cannot report cash payments at this time. Utility payments include electric, gas, water, and wireless cell phone payments. These can only be added afteryou'vesuccessfully connected your rent payments. If connected, utility payments may only be added to your Equifax credit report at this time.

Adding these payments to your credit reports may help your credit if those payments are made and reported as on-time payments. This can be especially helpful for someone looking to build out their credit history or credit scores.

This free offer through Credit Karma is currently only available to a handful of Credit Karma members at this time and its free for the first 12 months. After that, you will have a choice to continue to pay for the LevelCredit service yourself through LevelCredit or have your rent payments become a closed tradeline in paid satisfactory status on your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports. If utility payments were connected, utility payments will also become closed tradelines on your Equifax credit reports. This can help maintain any increase associated with this reporting to your credit scores that occurred during the pilot but should no longer affect your scores beyond the 12-month pilot.

How can Rent & Utility Reporting affect my credit scores?

Connecting your rent payment records to your credit reports may help your credit scores if you make consistent monthly payments on-time. If connected, utility payments will only be added to your Equifax credit report at this time.

Keep in mind that your scores may initially decrease when you first connect your payments to your credit. If this happens,don'tworry! This is because theyve been added as new tradelines to your reports and should have less of an impact on your credit over time.

You can learn more about your credit scores in this article: What factors affect your credit scores?

How do I begin the Rent & Utility reporting process?

If you sign up for rent reporting, you may need to provide some personal information about yourself and contact information for your landlord.

Utility payments can only be added afteryou'vesuccessfully connected your rent payments. If connected, utility payments will only be added to your Equifax credit report at this time.

My scores didnt change the way I wanted it to. How can I opt out from this?

If you connected your payments to your credit but your scores decreased or didnt change in the way you hoped it would,don'tworry! Remember that your credit scores may drop initially when a new tradeline is added to your reports. This may have less impact on your scores over time.

Please note that if youre signed up in our pilot and unenroll, youwon'tbe able to re-join the Rent & Utility Reporting pilot. You can unenroll in Rent & Utility Reporting by contacting LevelCredit at [email protected], to ask them to remove the tradeline from your credit reports. Removing the tradeline from your reports shouldnt have a negative impact on your credit scores.

Once LevelCredit has processed your request, it may take 30 days or more for your credit reports to reflect the removal. Once the tradelines have been removed, your credit scores may adjust over time.

Can I report past rent payments?

Yes! Using this feature, you have the option to include previous rent payments thatyou'vemade.

However, past utility payments are not able to be reported at this time.

What if LevelCreditcan'tfind my payment?

Using one consistent payment method every month may make it easier for LevelCredit to identify and verify your payments.

If you frequently switch your payment method or your bill varies month by month, LevelCredit may have trouble identifying and verifying your payments. If LevelCredit is unable to find your payment, they may notify you by email to login and match the correct payment. If you are unable to find or match your new payment, you should reach out to the LevelCredit team at [email protected].

Why does my tradeline say RentTrack?

LevelCredits parent company is RentTrack, so your tradeline may appear as RentTrack on your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports. You can learn more about their company on the LevelCredit website.

You may have previously seen this same promotional offer for Rent and/or Utility Reporting under LevelCredits former name, CreditPop. The company rebranded from CreditPop to LevelCredit in October 2019. This is the same offer with the same company, and RentTrack continues to be the parent company.

Can I report only my utilities?

At this time, utility payments may only be added if you have enabled rent reporting as well.If connected, utility payments will only be added to your Equifax credit report at this time.

I submitted my information but was told I was ineligible. Why?

Unfortunately, some members will not be able to enroll in this program after submitting their information. This may be due to any factor of reasons, including:

Your nameisn'ton your lease or you are a subletter

Youaren'table to verify your address with a legal document

Your bank or credit unionisn'tcompatible with LevelCredits system

Who do I contact if I see incorrect information or errors on my Rent and/or Utility tradelines on my credit reports?

Ifyou'veconnected your payments to your credit reports and are seeing any errors, you should reach out to the LevelCredit team at [email protected].

Browse personalized auto loans on Credit Karma now.

When you see an offer for an auto loan on Credit Karma, be sure to review all additional details under Details and Disclaimer. Keep in mind that actual payment amounts and other terms and fees may differ from the estimates you see in the offer overview. Because offer details and rates are subject to change after the lender reviews your loan application, its important to review the offer terms from the lender both before and after you apply to make sure the offer you receive is still in line with the goals youre trying to achieve.

The estimated Annual Percentage Rate (APR), term of the loan and monthly payment on a Credit Karma offer are based on your credit profile and/or available rate information from that specific lender. Lenders generally have a range of available APRs and only borrowers with excellent credit will qualify for the lowest rate available.

Your actual APR will depend upon factors evaluated at the time of application, which may include:

Credit score

Loan amount

Loan term

Vehicle information

Credit usage

Credit history

The lender may also impose additional restrictions, such as vehicle value, model year and income qualifications. When evaluating offers, you should review the lender's terms and conditions for additional details.

On Credit Karma youll see your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from two of the three major consumer credit bureaus, which can give you an idea of your overall credit health. Before applying for an auto product, you should look at your other credit scores, like your FICO score, which lenders may use in evaluating your application.

You can learn more about auto loan refinancing in this article: Is Auto Loan refinancing worth the effort?

The Credit Score Simulator can help you explore how different factors impact your credit score.

What is the Credit Score Simulator and how does it work?

The Credit Score Simulator is an educational tool. Explore, adjust and ponder, but remember these are estimated outcomes and not predictions.

The Credit Score Simulator starts with the information in your current TransUnion credit report and lets you explore how changes on your credit report could affect your score. Of course, its all hypothetical. Simulating these changes won't actually affect your score or report.

How can I use it?

If youre using a web browser to access Credit Karma, you can find the Credit Score Simulator under Resources in your Credit Karma profile.

Go to this section in Credit Karma: Credit Score Simulator

Are these changes guaranteed?

No, the Credit Score Simulator can help you dig into some of your credit "What Ifs," but it does not predict or guarantee any future score changes.

When you use the Credit Score Simulator, you'll notice that you can only change one scenario at a time. But in real life, you may have multiple factors change in your credit report at the same time. For example, its common to have a new inquiry as part of opening a new line of credit.

What if I make more than one financial change at a time?

In the real world, more than one change can happen to your finances at a time. The Credit Score Simulator shows you an estimate of how each change could impact your credit health. This is to help you have a better idea of how different factors can impact your credit score.

How long do changes usually last?

This can depend on the situation and the change: effects from a missed payment, for example, generally take longer to wear off than those from a hard inquiry.

In the real world, you can also have more than one change on your report at a time. So even if the effects of one change wear off, another may still affect your score. Check on your credit reports regularly to make sure youre on track to meet your goals.

If you are signing up for Credit Karma Tax for the first time this year, you can use Google Authenticator for two-factor authentication. Using Google Authenticator is an optional feature to help you secure your account.

If you are already enrolled in SMS two-factor authentication on your Credit Karma Tax account, you cannot change to Google Authenticator at this time. We plan to make this functionality available in the future.

If you prefer, you can also use your verified phone number for two-factor authentication.

Download the Google Authenticator app:

For Android

For iOS (iPhone, iPad)

How to set up Google Authenticator with Credit Karma Tax

While you are signing up for Credit Karma Tax, we will ask you to verify the phone number you entered to sign up.

Check the box at the bottom of the screen to enable Google Authenticator.

Keep in mind that you will still need to verify your phone number to finish signing up for Credit Karma Tax.

If you choose not to use Google Authenticator, you can use your phone number to help protect your account with two-factor authentication

After you verify your phone number, install the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device if necessary.

If you are using the Google Chrome browser, You can also install the GAuth add-on.

Use the Google Authenticator app on your phone to scan the QR code displayed on the page or enter the 16-character code into the Google Authenticator app. This will associate your Google Authenticator app with your Credit Karma Tax account.

On the next screen, you will need to enter the 6 digit code from your Google Authenticator app to verify that the process has been successful.

Once you have successfully set up two-factor authentication with Google Authenticator, we will show you an 8 digit Recovery Code. Save this code in a safe place, you can use your Recovery Code to access you account if you lose access to your Google Authenticator app.

You can disable Google Authenticator from your Security Settings.

What to do if you lose your device orcan'tuse Google Authenticator anymore

If you lose your device or have a problem using Google Authenticator to access your account in the future, you can enter your Recovery Code to log in. After you use your Recovery Code, you will be able to set up Google Authenticator again to ensure the continued protection of your Credit Karma Tax account.

If you get completely locked out of your account due to an issue with your two-factor authentication, please contact our member support team.

In tax terms, a dependent is a qualifying child or relative whos supported financially by someone else and meets the additional requirements provided below.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Your Dependents

The dependent must meet these prerequisites to qualify:

Theycan'tbe claimed as a dependent on another tax return.

Theyre a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or resident of Canada or Mexico.

Theyre not filing a joint return unlessthey'refilling a return with their spouse to receive a tax refund of tax withholding or estimated taxes they paid.

In order for you to claim a dependent as a qualifying child, all of the following must be true:

The child must be your son, adopted child, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of these.

You, or your spouse if married filing jointly, lived with the person youre claiming for more than half the year (with the exception of temporary absences).

At the end of the tax year,they'reone of the following:

Under 19,

Under 24 ifthey'rea full-time student, or

Permanently and totally disabled at any time during the year, regardless of age.

Youve provided more than half of their living expenses.

The child is not filing a joint return unlessthey'refilling a return with their spouse to receive a tax refund of tax withholding or estimated taxes they paid.

If theyaren'ta qualifying child based on the restrictions above, they might meet the criteria of a qualifying relative. In order for you to claim a dependent as a qualifying relative, all of the following must be true:

Their annual income is below the dependent exemption amount for the tax yearthey'rebeing claimed as a dependent (For 2018, $4,150 or less).

Youre related to the person youre claiming, or if unrelated,you'velived with them for the entire tax year (with the exception of temporary absences).

Theyaren'ta qualifying child or relative of another taxpayer.

You must provide more than half of this persons total support for the year.Source: irs.gov

What if someone claims me as their dependent?

If someone can claim you as a dependent, its important to properly report this information on your tax return. Your tax return may be rejected if your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) was already listed as a dependent on another tax return and you fail to report on your own return that someone else claims you as a dependent. You should have a conversation with anyone who may claim you as a dependent to avoid confusion or conflicting tax returns.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: Personal Information

Can I claim my spouse as a dependent?

Youcan'tclaim your spouse as your dependent. If youre unsure about the qualifications of a dependent, you can use the interactive interview offered by the IRS.

You may be able to claim an exemption for your spouse when married filing separately if your spouse had no taxable income for the year,isn'tfiling a return, andisn'ta dependent of another taxpayer.Source: irs.gov

The idea behind a balance transfer credit card is to take a high interest balance and transfer it to another credit card, often a new card with a lower interest rate. This can help you save money on interest so more of your payments can go towards your balance.

While using a balance transfer card responsibly can help you improve your credit in the long term, (a balance transfer credit card can help you save money on interest and get out of debt faster ) some people are surprised when their credit scores drop immediately following the application process.

This can happen for a couple of reasons:

When you apply for a credit card, the lender will check your credit, resulting in a hard inquiry on your credit reports. This can cause a drop in your credit scores, but the effect will typically lessen over time.

Being approved for a new account could also shorten the average age of your credit (the length of timeyou'vebeen using credit), which could also impact your credit scores.

Getting approved for a balance transfer card may help lower your credit card utilization, but it depends on how much of that credit you are using. Credit utilization is one of many credit factors that make up your credit scores. It refers to how much of your available credit you use at a given time, and most experts recommend keeping your overall credit card utilization below 30%.

Not yet. We are only able to verify U.S. phone numbers right now.

Credit Karma Auto allows you to monitor your vehicle-related activity.

Go to this section in Credit Karma: Auto

By linking your driver and vehicle information to your Credit Karma account, youll be able to track your:

Auto Loans

Valuation

Recalls

Vehicle Info

Driver Info

If youre in California or Texas, you can also use Credit Karma Auto to keep an eye on your auto insurance. However, you will need to manually input your policy information and any changes to your coverage in order to keep this section up to date.

Credit Karma Auto will show you personalized recommendations for relevant products, such as insurance options or auto loan refinancing tools, that could save you money.

Where does the info on Credit Karma Auto come from? I see a name or vehicle Idon'trecognize, how do I edit auto info from my Credit Karma profile? My name or birth year is wrong in Credit Karma Auto How do I remove all auto info from my Credit Karma profile? Where do you get the vehicle valuation data from? Where does the recall information come from? Why am I ineligible for a loan refinance? How is the projected value calculated? Can Credit Karma refinance my loan? How are you calculating my vehicles depreciation rate? Why should I refinance now instead of later? Will entering my information in Credit Karma Auto affect my credit scores?

Where does the information on Credit Karma Auto come from?

The driver and most of the vehicle data you see in Credit Karma Auto is based off the home address listed on your Credit Karma account. You may see drivers and/or vehicles that youdon'trecognize because they may have been tied to this address at one point or another.

Keep in mind that some states are better at keeping auto records up to date and ifyou'verecently moved states or your driver information has otherwise changed, you should update your information with your states DMV.

Some other vehicle data that you see on Credit Karma, such as car value and open recalls, comes from third parties or public sources.

I see a name or vehicle Idon'trecognize, how do I edit auto info from my Credit Karma profile?

It looks like youre seeing some names and/or vehicles youdon'trecognize in the Auto experience.

Dont worry! The driver and most of the vehicle data you see in Credit Karma Auto is based off the home address listed on your Credit Karma account. You may see drivers and/or vehicles that youdon'trecognize because they may have been tied to this address at one point or another.

Some states are better at keeping records up to date and ifyou'verecently moved states or your driver information has otherwise changed, you should update your information with your states DMV.

To remove an unfamiliar name and/or vehicle from your Credit Karma Auto profile follow these steps:

Click on the Auto tab to the top of your navigation bar.

SelectEditunder the picture of the car at the top left of your screen.

Click on theRemove button that appears next to the incorrect information.

My name or birth year is wrong in Credit Karma Auto

Most of the drivers and vehicle info you see on the Credit Karma Auto experience, is provided to us from DMV records. Were unable to edit this information, but if you think this information is incorrect, its a good idea to contact your states DMV to make sure this information is correct on their end.

The year of birth you see under drivers information is taken from the personal information you entered during registration with Credit Karma. If theres a typo in your birth year, theres no way to edit this information yet, but our development team is working on a solution.

How do I remove all auto info from my Credit Karma profile?

You can remove current vehicles or drivers as long as you leave at least one of each. You can add a vehicle or driver, and then delete the ones that were there previously. However, onceyou'veenrolled in Credit Karma Auto, youwon'tbe able to entirely remove your auto profile.

Where do you get the vehicle valuation data from?

The estimated vehicle valuation comes from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). Credit Karma does not have the ability to make changes to your vehicle valuation.

For more information about NADA, visit: www.nada.org

Where does the recall information come from?

The vehicle recall information shown in Credit Karma Auto comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more information about NHTSA, please visit www.nhtsa.gov

Why am I ineligible for a loan refinance?

Many factors are taken into consideration when a lender is determining whether to approve your refinance application. These may include:

Loan-to-value ratio

Your Credit

Your vehicles age and mileage

If you are not looking to refinance, you will still be able to access other Credit Karma Auto features, including estimated value and recalls.

How is the projected value calculated?

The projected value displayed in Credit Karma Auto is based on several factors, including current mileage, where you live, and the cars condition. Your cars value may differ depending on if you sell it privately or trade it in at a dealership.

Can Credit Karma refinance my loan?

We may recommend different auto loan refinancing options based on the information you provide, but wedon'tdirectly refinance your loan.

You can compare auto loans at Credit Karma Auto.

How are you calculating my vehicles depreciation rate?

Vehicle depreciation is the rate at which your vehicle loses its value over time. The two biggest factors that affect car depreciation are your vehicles age and mileage. Other factors such as the make, model, supply, location, and more are also considered when determining your vehicle depreciation rate.

Credit Karma Auto provides you with a graph to show you how your vehicles value (provided from National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is depreciating over time.

You can read more about how car depreciation can affect your vehicles value here.

Why should I refinance my auto loan now?

Refinancing your loan could help you save money in the long run as it could score you a lower interest rate.

If youre struggling with a high interest rate or an unaffordable monthly payment, refinancing could be your key to finding more favorable terms. If your credit health has recently improved and interest rates have dropped, then it could be a great time to refinance your auto loan.

To learn more, you can check out the Credit Karma Guide to Refinancing Your Auto Loan.

Will entering my information in Credit Karma Auto affect my credit scores?

The credit scores that you see through your Credit Karma account are from TransUnion and Equifax. Linking your vehicle and driver information to your Credit Karma accountwon'taffect your credit scores.

Keep in mind, though, that if you choose to apply for new auto loans or refinance your current auto loan youll see a hard inquiry on your credit reports which can affect your credit scores.

Loan services offered through Credit Karma Offers, Inc., NMLS ID# 1628077 | Licenses | NMLS Consumer Access. California loans arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license

Insurance services offered through Credit Karma Insurance Services, LLC (dba Karma Insurance Services, LLC; CA resident license #0172748)

If you have good credit and you have a family member, friend or loved one with less-than-ideal or no credit, becoming their co-signer on a loan could help them qualify for a loan they might not otherwise be able to get or qualify for a loan with more competitive terms.

Its important to consider what can happen when you become a co-signer on somebody elses loan.

Here are some implications of being a co-signer on a loan:

If your friend doesn't pay, youre responsible for making sure the loan is paid unless your friend assumes the loan without you as a co-signer, closes the loan, or qualifies for a refinance without you as a co-signer.

The loan appears on your credit reports, along with any late payments, defaults and missed payments sent to collections.

Taking on any kind of additional debt typically increases your debt-to-income ratio.

Read more information about: Co-signing a loan: Pros and cons

On Credit Karma, youll see offers for financial products. For credit cards and personal loans,you might see a pre-approved or pre-selected offer, or Approval Odds on an offer and specific to personal loans, you might also see a pre-qualified offer.

So whats the difference?

Credit Karma's Approval Odds

Credit Karma looks at how your credit profile compares to Credit Karma members who were approved for the same product to determine your Approval Odds as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor.

Approval Odds are our prediction of the probability that youll be approved for a specific credit card or personal loan from a specific lender. Of course, theres no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. Still, at the end of the day, its up to the lender to make a decision.

Pre-Approved

If you see a pre-approved badge on offers for a credit card or a personal loan, it indicates that you meet the lenders criteria for a pre-approved offer. This means that if you apply and pass the lenders eligibility screen, you have about a 90% chance of being approved for the offer.

You may be ineligible for the pre-approved offer if, for example:

youdon'tmeet the lenders ability to pay standard;

youve been declined by the lender within the last 90 days; or

you already have the maximum number of accounts allowed by the lender.

Pre-approval is still not a guarantee of approval. The lender will also need to verify your income and other information before you can be approved.

Remember, the application will result in a hard inquiry.

Pre-Selected

Much like being pre-approved, a pre-selected offer means that you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. This means that if you apply and pass the lenders eligibility screen, you have about an 80% chance of being approved for the offer. The same eligibility criteria for pre-approval may apply to pre-selected offers as well.

Pre-selection is only available for personal loans and credit cards at this time. Looking and applying for a mortgage has different considerations.

Pre-Qualified

Credit Karma can help you see if you have pre-qualified personal loan offers. When youre pre-qualified for a loan offer, it means that the lender has reviewed your information and found a personalized offer for you. Youll also see your estimated APR, which stands for Annual Percentage Rate and is the cost youll pay for borrowing the money each year, expressed as a percentage. The APR includes the interest rate but also fees you have to pay to get the loan.

Getting pre-qualifiedwon'thurt your credit. Lenders will typically run a soft inquiry on your credit to determine if they can make you a pre-qualified offer. If the lender decides that theycan'tmake you a pre-qualified offer, they may send you a letter or email explaining why you werent pre-qualified. Its called a Notice of Adverse Action, but it doesnt mean your credit was hurt.

Keep in mind that pre-qualification is not a guarantee of approval, and if you want that personal loan, youll ultimately have to apply for it directly with the lender and consent to the hard inquiry that goes along with it.

Use the following steps to change your name, home address, gender, marital status and annual household income on your Credit Karma account.

On a browser, hover over Profile and Settings

Select personal information from the drop-down menu.

Enter your new information and select Save at the bottom of the page.

You can also edit the answer to the following yes/no questions about whether you:

are a student

are a business owner

usually carry a balance on our credit cards from month-to-month

If you need to change your email address, phone number, password or security questions, you can do so from your security settings.

Whywon'tmy changes save?

For your security, certain personal information needs to be verified with TransUnion. If the information doesnt match what TransUnion has on file for you, the changeswon'tsave on Credit Karma. This can happen ifyou'verecently moved or changed your name because TransUnion may not have received your new information yet.

It can take the credit bureaus up to 45 days to update your credit information. You can see the current personal information TransUnion has for you by looking at your TransUnion Credit Report on Credit Karma. If its been longer than 45 days and your information still isn't reflected on your credit reports or saving on Credit Karma, we recommend contacting TransUnion to make sure they have your updated information.

See more about updating your information with the credit bureaus in these articles:

Updating personal information on your credit reports

How to report a name change to a credit bureau

Im having trouble saving my address and I live in an apartment

If you live in an apartment and youre having trouble updating your address, try including your apartment number or letter at the end of the street address line instead of using the Apartment line.

Collections accounts can appear on your credit reports after a certain period of non-payment, typically 180 days, and can cause your credit scores to drop substantially.

While different lenders have different policies, after a certain period of non-payment the original lender may write off a debt as a loss and sell it to a collection agency. The collection agency will then attempt to collect the money owed. You will not necessarily be notified by the original creditor that your account is being sent to collections.

The original creditor or the collection agency may report the account in collections to one or more of the consumer credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and the account should show up on your credit reports with a collection status. If the original lender he writes off this debt as a loss and sells it to a collection agency, the original account should be updated to show payment after charge off/collection (or something similar) on your credit reports. Credit reports should still show the history of the account, including the amount that was written off.

An account reported as a collection can cause your credit scores to drop substantially. Here's more information on what to do if you have an account in collections and what it could mean for your credit scores.

How long do collections stay on credit reports?

Accounts in collection generally remain on credit reports for seven years from the date of the missed payment that led to the collection status.

How can I view my collection accounts on Credit Karma?

If an account in collections is reported on your TransUnion or Equifax credit reports, you can access your full reports on Credit Karma. Log into your Credit Karma account and review your credit reports to see if you have collections information.

On Credit Karma you can check for collections accounts in your credit reports:

TransUnion

Equifax

Both reports should include details like the original creditor and the amount due. If its available, youll also be able to find the contact information for the collection agency in your full credit reports. Your Experian credit reportisn'tavailable on Credit Karma, but you may also want to check there for any collections information too.

Learn more about how collections accounts can impact your credit.

Certain Credit Karma members* who filed with Credit Karma Tax can use the Tax Insights tool to help understand more about last years tax return. The Tax Insights tool can show personalized information from your tax return to help you better understand your tax situations.

You can also get an insight (on your 2018 taxes) into:

Your effective tax rate, or the percentage of your total taxable income that went to federal taxes.

How tax brackets work in relation to your income.

How much you may be able to reduce your taxable income when applying different deductions.

Review and learn about your withholding.

The information you see in the Tax Insights tool on your Credit Karma account is based on the information you provided when filing with Credit Karma Tax and it is meant for informational purposes only. It is not tax advice.

You may not be able to use the Tax Insights tool if you did not consent to sharing your tax filing information with Credit Karma when you filed your taxes with Credit Karma Tax. If you did not file your taxes with Credit Karma Tax, you may still be able to use the Tax Insights tool (see below ).

How can I get access to the Tax Insights Tool?

To be eligible, you need to have already filed your taxes and consented. Well use your tax transcript to help give you insights about your tax return.

If you did not file with Credit Karma Tax, you can get started by answering a simple question and verifying your name, mailing address and SSN. Just keep in mind that your name and address should match the one you used for your 2018 taxes.

What is Form 4506-T and how do I fill it out?

Form 4506-T is a Request for Transcript of Tax Return. In order to help you understand your taxes, Credit Karma needs your permission to request your tax return transcript by e-signing IRS form 4506-T.

Follow these steps to e-sign the Form 4506-T:

Confirm your name and mailing address. Check that your name and address exactly match the one you used for your 2018 tax return (the one you filed earlier in 2019)

Enter your Social Security number

Review and agree to the Terms

Click Submit

I have e-signed the IRS form, when can I start using the Tax Insights tool?

It usually takes about 3 business days for a response from the IRS after your Form 4506-T is submitted. Well send you a notification once weve received it and you can start using the Tax Insights tool.

In the meantime,don'tforget to complete your profile with the most up-to-date information.

Why do you need my last years tax information?

To give you insights on your 2018 taxes and help you plan, we need info from your 2018 tax return. If you havent filed yet, come back once you have to learn more about your tax return.

Why did IRS reject my request? Can I still use the Tax Insights tool?

Your request may have been rejected due to incorrect personal information. This may mean that the informationyou'veentered didnt align with what IRS had in their database.

Mismatched personal information can include the following:

Misspelled names,

Recent name changes, and

Incorrect Social Security number

Mismatched address (the one you used for your 2018 tax return)

To learn more about possible reasons for rejection, contact the IRS.

If the IRS denies our request for your tax transcript, wewon'tbe able to show you tax insights.

*We are in the process of rolling this out so you might not see it on your account just yet. Keep checking back at creditkarma.com/tax/hub/insights to see if the Tax Insights tool is available with your account.

El producto Credit Karma actualmente no est disponible en espaol.

Cmo puedo cambiar mi direccin de correo electrnico?

Cmo puedo restablecer mi contrasea?

No pude completar el Paso 3 de Registracin. Qu debo hacer?

Con qu frecuencia se actualiza mi informacin de Reporte de Crdito?

Cambiar mi informacin de cuenta

Como puedo cancelar mi membresa?

Cmo puedo cambiar mi direccin de correo electrnico?

Hay dos formas de actualizar su direccin de correo electrnico. Si ya tiene un correo electrnico verificado por favor haga clic aqu y siga estas instrucciones.

Si puede iniciar sesin en su cuenta de Credit Karma:

Haga clic aqu para ir a la configuracin de seguridad (Security Settings)

Ingrese su nueva direccin de correo electrnico dos veces junto con su contrasea. seguido haga clic en guardar ("Save").

Use su nueva direccin de correo electrnico cuando inicie sesin en Credit Karma en el futuro.

Si no puede iniciar sesin con su cuenta de Credit Karma:

Esto puede suceder, si olvida su contrasea y/o no tiene acceso a la direccin de correo electrnico asociada a su cuenta. Si este es el caso, tienes dos opciones.

Opcin 1: Reemplace su cuenta de Credit Karma existente.

Para comenzar, haga clic aqu desde una computadora y desplcese hacia abajo en la seccin que dice Reemplazar su cuenta existente (Replace Your Existing Account).

Ingrese el correo electrnico asociada a su cuenta original (no su nueva direccin de correo electrnico), su Fecha de Nacimiento y los ltimos cuatro dgitos de su Nmero de Seguro Social.

Haga clic en el botn Reemplazar mi cuenta ("Replace My Account) para completar el proceso.

Asegrese de estar en una computadora, el proceso de reemplazo no es compatible con el dispositivo mvil o celular.

Tenga en cuenta que si elige esta opcin, perder acceso al historial de puntajes asociado a su cuenta anterior.

Opcin 2: Verifique su identidad envindonos documentacin.

Escriba a nuestros miembros de soporte de Credit Karma.

Cmo puedo restablecer mi contrasea?

Podemos ayudarlo a restablecer su contrasea con unos sencillos pasos desde la pgina web o sitio mvil.

Paso 1: Pgina Principal de restablecimiento de contrasea.

Para comenzar el proceso, visite nuestra pgina de cmo restablecer la contrasea, e ingrese su correo electrnico asociada a su cuenta de Credit Karma.

Paso 2: Revisar correo electrnico.

Recibir un correo electrnico con un enlace web. Haga clic en el enlace o pguelo en la barra de direcciones de su navegador. El enlace se expira despus de 24 horas de su envo, as que selo tan pronto como pueda.(Si pierde la ventana de 24 horas, no se preocupe, simplemente repita el paso 1.)

Paso 3: Verificar su identidad

Tienes dos opciones para verificar su identidad:

Ingrese su Fecha de Nacimiento y los ltimos cuatro dgitos de su Nmero de Seguridad Social.

Responda la pregunta de Seguridad que eligi cuando cre su cuenta.

Paso 4: Ingrese su nueva contrasea.

Eso es! Despus de restablecer con xito su contrasea, puede iniciar sesin en su cuenta con su nueva contrasea.

No pude completar el Paso 3 de Registracin. Qu debo hacer?

Credit Karma toma en serio su seguridad, por lo que antes de completar la registracin, le haremos algunas preguntas para verificar su identidad.

Estas preguntas se generan con la informacin de las agencias de crdito y tendr dos oportunidades para responder estas preguntas correctamente.

Si no puede completar la verificacin de identidad en lnea, necesitaremos otros documentos para verificar su identidad. Haga clic aqu para iniciar sesin y cargar una copia de su licencia de conducir o identificacin estatal.

Si tiene problemas en subir su documentacin, escriba a nuestros miembros de soporte de Credit Karma. Veremos su cuenta para poder dirigirlo en la direccin correcta.

Con qu frecuencia se actualiza mi informacin de Reporte de Crdito?

Cualquier actualizacin de TransUnion y Equifax estn disponibles a travs de su cuenta Credit Karma cada 7 das.

Todo lo que tiene que hacer es iniciar sesin!

Junto a sus puntajes actuales, ver cada fechas de sus actualizaciones y podr acceder a reportes de crdito de fechas anteriores.

Tenga en cuenta que la informacin en su reporte de crdito, puede ser que no cambie cada vez que usted vea sus puntajes en Credit Karma. Generalmente, los acreedores informan nueva informacin (como nuevos saldos o actividades de pago) a los oficinas de crdito cada 30 das, pero la frecuencia de las actualizaciones puede variar segn el acreedor.

Dado que no recibimos la informacin directamente de los acreedores de informes de crdito, no sabemos cundo un acreedor especficamente actualizar su informacin. Pero al ingresar a su cuenta regularmente, puede realizar un seguimiento de las actualizaciones, y estar atento a los errores al mismo tiempo.

Cambiar mi informacin de cuenta

Puede cambiar la informacin de su cuenta como la direccin de correo electrnico, contrasea o pregunta de seguridad en el los ajustes de seguridad " Security Settings ".

Como puedo cancelar mi membresa?

Antes de cancelar su cuenta, queremos que est informado que ya no tendr acceso al historial de su cuenta de Credit Karma y no podr crear una nueva cuenta durante seis meses despus de la cancelacin.

Si an desea cancelar su membresa, simplemente haga clic aqu. O tambin, puede cancelar ponindose en contacto con nuestros miembros de soporte de Credit Karma.

Equifax, one of the three major consumer credit bureaus, reached a settlement for up to $700 million related to its major data breach in 2017. If your information was exposed in the data breach, you can file a claim for free credit monitoring. If you already have credit monitoring, you can file a claim for a cash payment.

Equifax has set up a free website where you will be able to check if you were impacted by this breach and file a claim: equifaxbreachsettlement.com

Click here to read more about the process to file a claim.

Credit Karma doesnt have any insight into whether you are able to file a claim or not. However, we do provide 100% free credit monitoring of your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports.

Your Credit Karma Tax membership is a free, optional upgrade to your Credit Karma account. If you wish to continue using Credit Karma but have decided not to use Credit Karma Tax to do your taxes, you can simply stop using Credit Karma Tax at any time.

If you are only looking to unsubscribe from Credit Karma Tax emails, you can click the link at the bottom of the next email you receive. Look for this sentence, "PS: Already filed your 2018 taxes? Click here to let us know." Or, you can go to Communications & Monitoring under Profile & Settings and click Off next to Credit Karma Tax

If you cancel your account youll no longer have access to your Credit Karma account history, including your credit reports and tax documents.

To cancel your membership, visit deactivate my Credit Karma account. Our member support team can also assist you to cancel your account.

Thank you for being a member, we hope to see you again one day!

Before you file your taxes, you should make sure to have any documents, statements, and forms that may impact the amount of taxes you owe. Make sure this includes any income you received over the last year as well as any expenses you may be considering deducting from your taxes.

Our article on Important tax preparation documents to have before filing your own taxes provides a more information about the kinds of forms you might have or should expect to receive.

Some of the documents you might need include:

A copy of your previous years tax returns (federal and state, if applicable)

Social Security Number for yourself, your spouse, and any dependents you may have

Statements related to any income, such as:

W-2s

1099s

Social Security benefit statement

Unemployment benefit statements

Statements or receipts on interest or contributions paid, such as:

Student loan interest (1098-E)

IRA contributions made outside of your employer

Health Savings Account contributions

Charitable donations

Mortgage interest statements (1098)

Affordable Care Act statements, such as:

Form 1095-A, if you purchased healthcare through a government marketplace

Your marital status, as of December 31 in the tax year youre filing for, will determine what filing status you should use on your tax return. Here are the five different filing statuses the IRS recognizes:

Single - Generally, this status applies if youre not married, or youre divorced or legally separated from the marriage according to your state law.

Married Filing Jointly - If youre married, you and your spouse may file a joint return. If your spouse passed away during the year and you didnt remarry, you may still file a joint return with that spouse for the year he or she died.

Married Filing Separately - If youre married and decide to file separate returns.

Head of Household - You can select this filing status if all of the following situations apply to you:

Youre not married or youre considered unmarried on the last day of the tax filing year.

You have at least one qualifying dependent.

You paid more than half the cost in living expenses for yourself and the qualifying dependent.

Youve lived with the qualifying dependent for more than half the tax year (with the exception of temporary absences, such as school, and a dependent parent).

Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child - You can select this filing status if all of the following situations apply to you:

Your spouse passed away within the last two tax years.

You didnt remarry before the end of the tax year.

You have a qualifying child whereyou'veprovided more than half the cost of their living expenses.

Youve lived with the qualifying child for the entire year (with the exception of temporary absences).

If more than one status applies to you, the IRS states that you should choose the status with the lowest tax liability. Also, you should have a conversation with everyone who might be affected by your filing status, including your spouse, dependents or relatives who lived in your household, andyou'veprovided financial support for more than half the tax year for them. The IRS can reject your tax return if it conflicts with the status of another tax return that has been previously accepted.

If youre still unsure which filing status is the most beneficial to you, you can use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant: What Is My Filing Status? to help determine your filing status.Source: irs.gov

Your Social Security number (SSN) is a unique way to identify you, which makes it key to locating your credit files.

In most cases, the last 4 digits of your SSN, along with the other personal information you enter, will be enough to match your identity with your Equifax and TransUnion credit files. In some cases, though, we may need your full SSN to ensure a correct match.We cannot accept an Individual Tax Identification number (ITIN).

Rest assured that were committed to keeping your info safe. If you have any concerns about the security of your information, check out our security page.

Use Identity Monitoring on Credit Karma to check if your personal information has been involved in a data breach.

Where does the breach information come from? Ive been notified that I was involved in a breach, what should I do next? Why is my information associated with a website or service Ive never been to? What does this mean for the security of my Credit Karma account? Why is Credit Karma doing this?

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Where does the breach information come from?

Personal data that has been accessed without authorization typically by unknown individuals is often made public across the internet. By scanning billions of records from public data breaches and the dark web, Credit Karma has created a tool that runs searches for the email address associated with your Credit Karma account to tell you if your information was a part of a data breach.

Ive been notified that I was involved in a breach, what should I do next?

If your personal info has been involved in a breach, you can take the following steps:

Change your passwords

Lock or freeze your credit reports

Review your financial accounts for suspicious activity

Request new credit cards or PIN numbers from your financial institution

File a report with the FTC

You can read more about how you can protect yourself after being involved in a data breach.

Why is my information associated with a website or service Ive never been to?

When reviewing any data breaches you personal information has been involved in, you may notice that your information is associated with a website or service that youdon'trecall visiting or signing up for. There are many possible reasons for this:

You forgot you signed up:

Most of us leave a large trail of accounts that weve signed up for over the years. Its possible that you may have signed up for a service and forgotten about it as time goes by.

Websites often rename/re-brand or merge with other websites:

Companies are constantly adjusting their branding strategies, so there is a chance that the breach is connected to a company you are familiar with that has changed its name. Companies may also buy or merge with other companies. While its pretty rare that an acquisition or merger would lead to the exposure of your personal information, it is a possibility.

Other people can accidentally sign you up:

People often fat-finger (i.e., mistype) their email address when signing up for an online service. Its possible that your email address was entered by mistake.

Your data was either sold or redistributed. Its typical for websites to buy and redistribute data from other companies. As a result, its possible that:

Your information was shared with your permission (by accepting their privacy policy);

Your information was accessed by someone without your permission;

Or, your information was involved in a breach of a data aggregator. Data aggregator companies take information from public sources on the web and sell it to other companies.

Learn more about what it means if you were involved in a Not Disclosed breach.

What does this mean for the security of my Credit Karma account?

An Identity Monitoring result shows that your personal information has been exposed online related to a data breach of another company - not Credit Karma..

We recommend changing the compromised passwords wherever you used them. Reusing a password that has been exposed in a data breach can make it easier for unauthorized users to access any other account that uses that password. Learn more about strong passwords.

Credit Karma takes your security very seriously. To find out more about how we protect your account information, please visit our Security Practices.

Why is Credit Karma doing this?

Credit Karma wants to help you make real, meaningful financial progress, and Identity Monitoring is a huge part of that. Identity fraud can lead to significant financial consequences for victims. Fraudsters who have obtained your personal information can use your identity to open unauthorized accounts, take out loans, and more.

Your credit scores help reflect your creditworthiness, or how likely you are to pay back debts on time. The higher your scores, the better your estimated creditworthiness.

The three main consumer credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - create your credit reports, which credit scoring models like VantageScore and FICO use to come up with scores that typically range from 300-850.

Your scores are typically based on credit factors like how often you make payments on time and how much of your available credit you use (also known as your credit utilization). Your scores will never factor in personal information like your race, gender, religion, marital status or national origin.

Credit scores are calculated based on information in your credit reports (like those from TransUnion,Equifax and Experian) according to specific scoring models (like VantageScore and FICO). For example, you can see your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax on Credit Karma. Different scoring models can weigh your credit details differently. Thats one reason your scores can vary from model to model.

Lenders typically check your credit when you apply for financial products such as:

A new credit card

A personal loan

A mortgage

Checking your credit will only lower your scores for a hard credit inquiry that youll need to authorize. A soft inquiry, like what happens when you check your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax on Credit Karma, will not impact your scores. Read more about the difference between hard and soft credit inquiries here.

Welcome back! You have two options to create a new account.

When you create a new Credit Karma account youwon'thave access to the information that was stored in your previous account, including any information you may have entered into Credit Karma Tax and any tax documents generated as part of Credit Karma Tax.

Im using a different email address

If youd like to create an account using a different email address than you used on your previous account, head over to our sign up page and fill in your information.

Id like to use the same email address

If youd like to use the same email address you used for your canceled account, contact our member support team from that email address and we can help you set up a new account.

Your phone number helps us verify your identity.

You will need a U.S. based phone number to receive a verification code. We are not able to send codes to non-fixed VoIP phone numbers such as Google Voice or Skype.

You can use the Home Buying Power experience to estimate your personalized rates, and learn how to improve your situation to make progress towards your home buying goals.

Go to the Credit Karma Home Buying Power experience now.

Home Buying Power

Using your income and savings information, you can estimate your Home Buying Power on Credit Karma. You can track changes to your home buying power over time, learn about the different factors that can influence it, and get advice for your home buying journey.

The following factors are used in estimating your maximum home buying power:

Credit Scores

Credit is a large component in making up your Home Buying Power estimate. Mortgage lenders will use the middle FICO score when looking at your FICO scores from the three major consumer credit bureaus. Credit Karma uses your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax, but these scores can give you an idea of your credit health.

If youre buying a home with someone else, the lender will use the lower of your two scores.

Debt to Income ratio

Your Debt to Income (DTI) ratio is how much you make versus how much you owe every month. Your DTI is calculated by taking the minimum monthly payments on your existing debts, adding the monthly payment of the mortgage loan you're looking to get, and dividing by your monthly income (before taxes).

Some ways you may be able to change your Debt to Income ratio include:

Focus on paying off your accounts with the highest monthly payments rather than the highest balances total when paying down debt.

As lenders will factor in your future home payments to your debt-to-income ratio, you should aim to keep your max home buying power below 43% DTI.

Down Payment

While many people think that they need a minimum of 20% for their down payment, this is not true and should not stop you from taking the first step!

However, a higher down payment could save you more money in monthly payments and interest. Its good to put down as much as you can comfortably afford, but lenders also want to see that you still have some leftover savings.

Read more about down payments here: How big of a down payment do I need?

Other factors involved include market rates, which are impacted by a variety of economic factors. While market rates are out of your control, its good to keep track of these to note whether the market is trending low or high. For example, if market rates fall, you may be able to bid on a house below asking price.

You can view and play with your credit, DTI and down payment factors as part of the Credit Karma Home Buying Power experience in order to help you plan ahead or set goals.

Home Loans

Onceyou'veestimated your Home Buying Power, you can shop for personalized mortgage rates. By comparing your home loan options, you can view options from multiple lenders.

Learn more about 7 documents you need when applying for a home loan.

Home Buying Checklist

Throughout your home buying journey, you can refer to the Home Buying Checklist, which includes helpful articles to guide you on your journey.

Amortizable bond premium refers to the excess amountyou'vepaid above the value of a bond. For example, you bought a bond for $1,100 and after the bond matured, its worth $1,000. The $100 premium you paid for the bond is considered part of your basis (purchase price). This generally means that each year over the life of the bond, you may choose to use a part of the premium to reduce the amount of interest included in your total income. If you choose to amortize the premium, then you must also reduce your basis in the bond by the amount amortization deducted on your tax return.

Go to this section in Credit Karma Tax: 1099-INT Income

If you received a 1099-INT and have bond premium listed on box 11 and/or 12, enter the total amount of bond premium under Reduction for any amortizable bond premium paid. Dont reduce the amount of interest income shown in box 1 or box 3 of your 1099-INT by the amount of bond premium.

If you received tax-exempt interest, youre required to amortize the premium even though its not tax deductible. Additionally, each year you must reduce your basis in the bond (and tax-exempt interest if applicable) by the amortization for the year.source: irs.gov

To learn more about what could have impacted your score(s), it helps to use our See whats changed tool for one or both credit bureaus:

TransUnion credit report

Equifax credit report

Here are some reasons a score can drop:

Using more of your available credit

Missing a payment on one of your credit accounts

Age of credit history shortened

Having a new hard credit inquiry on your report

Having a new derogatory mark on your report

Scoring model changes

Multiple changes at once

Using more of your available credit

Credit card utilization is the ratio of credit card balances to available credit card limits. In other words, your credit utilization rate is how much of your available credit youre using at any given time.

See your credit utilization rate details for each bureau:

TransUnion

Equifax

When you use too much of your available credit, potential lenders may worry that you won't be able to pay them back (even if you pay off your balance each month). Depending on the scoring model, credit utilization can be considered a high-impact factor. If your utilization increases during one or more reporting periods, this could cause your scores to drop.

Its recommended to keep credit utilization low, ideally under 30%. Read more in our article Credit card utilization and your credit scores.

If your lender reports to the credit bureaus, they can report on new balances, payment activity, credit limit changes and other new info. When your lender reports will depend on your lender, but many report each billing cycle. This is why recent payments can take some time to show up on your credit reports. On Credit Karma, each account listed on your Equifax or TransUnion credit report also has a Last Reported date. To find an accounts last reported date, click on the account youre wondering about, and look at the very top of the Account Details list to find out more.

Missing a payment on one of your credit accounts

Even one missed payment can heavily impact scores.

See your payment history details for each bureau:

TransUnion

Equifax

Even if you typically pay off all of your balances on time, just one late payment may take a serious toll on your credit scores. Sometimes even missing one payment can bring down scores by a surprising amount, even ifyou'venever missed a payment before.

Read more about payment history here: What factors affect your credit scores? Payment History

Age of credit history shortened

Age of credit history refers to the length of timeyou'vebeen using credit. Credit scoring models can look at the average age of all open accounts to see that someone has experience using credit responsibly. Opening or closing an account may reduce your credit scores in the short term because it decreases the average age of your accounts.

See your age of credit history details for each bureau:

TransUnion

Equifax

The age of credit history can be shortened when:

You close an old credit card account

You paid off a student, auto or other type of loan

You applied for a new loan or credit card

Read more about age of credit history here: How does age of credit history affect credit scores?

Having a new hard credit inquiry on your report(s)

When you apply for certain financial products such as credit cards or loans, you usually need to authorize the lender to run a hard inquiry on your credit. Your scores may dip temporarily, but can recover over time depending on a number of factors, including whether you practice responsible credit habits.

See your hard inquiries details for each bureau:

TransUnion

Equifax

Hard inquiries generally occur when a financial institution checks someones credit when making a lending decision.

A hard inquiry tends to cause a temporary drop to credit scores and may be removed from credit reports after around two years time.

Read more about hard credit inquiries here: Hard and soft credit inquiries: What they are and why they matter

Having a new derogatory mark on your reports

Derogatory marks are negative indications on your credit reports that can lower your credit scores and stay on your credit reports for a substantial period of time. In many cases, derogatory remarks can stay on your credit reports for seven to ten years.

See your derogatory marks details for each bureau:

TransUnion

Equifax

Derogatory items may include (but are not limited to):

Collections account

Bankruptcy

Civil judgment

Foreclosure

Read more information about derogatory marks here: What are derogatory marks?

Scoring model changes

Credit scoring models might change how they weigh different factors and your scores could adjust based on these changes. Scoring models are kind of like a secret recipe. Since the credit bureaus and credit scoring companiesdon'tshare all the details of their scoring models, Credit Karma doesnt know when recipes are changed or what ingredients are getting adjusted.

Ream more information about credit scoring models here: How to Understand Credit Scores

Multiple changes at once

Sometimes multiple changes to your credit can happen at the same time, making it hard to pinpoint exactly which change caused a score drop.

For example, lets say you take out a new credit card. This could cause a chain reaction of events, depending on your individual credit situation. When you apply for the card, youll receive a hard inquiry. Then, depending on the amount of the cards credit limit and how much of it you use, your credit utilization may go up or down. Your average age of credit history may be shortened. But, if used correctly, having another line of credit may help strengthen your credit profile in the long term.

Keep an eye on credit factors and pay attention to how changes to each one can affect your credit.

If youre part of the Credit Lock beta program, then youll be able to lock and unlock your TransUnion credit report instantly through Credit Karma.

If youdon'thave access to Credit Lock beta at this time, Credit Karma will still let you know whether your credit reports are protected at TransUnion and/or Equifax. In the meantime, you can read more about the credit protection features provided by Credit Karma here.

Go to this section in Credit Karma: Credit protection

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What is Credit Lock beta? How do I know if I am in the Credit Lock beta program? Why should I lock my credit? What a credit lock does and doesnt do Is locking my credit with one bureau good enough? How do I enable or disable credit lock using Credit Karma? How can I lock my credit with Equifax and Experian? How long will it take for my credit report to unlock? I recently changed the lock status on my account but Credit Karmaisn'treflecting the changes. I have a dispute open with a bureau. Can I still lock my credit report? Can I both lock and freeze my credit at the same time? Will a credit lock or freeze affect my credit scores? How can I join the Credit Lock beta program?

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What is Credit Lock beta?

A credit lock is a security measure that makes it difficult for would-be fraudsters to open new financial accounts in your name by putting a lock on your credit report.

If youre a part of Credit Lock beta, you can now lock your TransUnion credit report instantly through Credit Karma! The option will appear on your Credit Lock page under Identity Monitoring.

Note that our beta program will only allow you to lock your credit with TransUnion, so youll need to lock your credit report with Equifax and Experian in order to lock your file with all three major consumer credit bureaus.

A credit lock is different from a credit freeze. A credit lock provides more flexibility, as it is quicker to place and lift a lock. Learn about the difference between Credit Lock and Credit Freeze.

How do I know if I am part of the Credit Lock beta program?

If you are part of the Credit Lock beta program, there will be an option to automatically toggle your TransUnion report between locked or unlocked under your Credit Lock page.

Why should I lock my credit?

Locking your credit prevents creditors from gaining access to your credit report for most applications. If your credit is locked with all three major consumer credit bureaus, it would be more difficult for someone to open new accounts using your name.

What a credit lock does and doesnt do

A credit lock will:

Prevent creditors from gaining access to your credit report for most applications

A credit lock wont:

Affect your ability to use credit monitoring services, such as Credit Karma

Change your credit scores, however your scores can still change while your credit is locked

Stop you from receiving pre-screened offers of credit

Prevent you from using existing credit accounts

Is locking my credit with one bureau good enough?

The Credit Lock beta program will only lock your TransUnion credit report. Different companies will use different credit bureaus, so locking your credit report at all three major consumer credit bureaus is the best way to help keep your credit more secure.

How do I enable or disable credit lock using Credit Karma?

If you are a part of the Credit Lock beta program, the following directions will enable you to lock your TransUnion credit report directly with Credit Karma.

Desktop or Mobile Web Browser:

Login to your Credit Karma account

Go to Resources at the top of the page and select Identity Monitoring from the list.

Under the Credit Lock section, click Manage Credit Locks to turn Credit Lock on or off for your TransUnion credit report.

Credit Karma App:

Login to your Credit Karma account on your app

Under settings at the top right, select Identity Monitoring

Under the Credit Lock section, select Manage Credit Locks to turn Credit Lock on or off for your TransUnion credit report.

If you enable credit lock using Credit Karma, we recommend that you also turn on Two-Factor Authentication. You can do this in your Security Settings, after adding and verifying your phone number.

Remember, locking your credit through Credit Karma will only lock your TransUnion credit report. Youll need to lock your credit with all three major consumer credit bureaus in order to fully lock your credit.

How can I lock my credit with Equifax and Experian too?

If you are part of the Credit Lock beta program, you can now use Credit Karma to instantly lock your TransUnion credit report.

To lock your Equifax credit report, you can contact them directly:

Equifax Lock & Alert:

https://www.equifax.com/personal/products/credit/credit-lock-alert/

1-888-298-0045

You can contact Experian by phone or see their website for information about their services.

The fees to lock your credit report directly with the bureaus will vary. However, freezing your credit with the bureaus is free. Learn more about the difference between a credit freeze and a credit lock.

How long will it take for my credit report to unlock?

If you are in the Credit Lock beta program, locking or unlocking your TransUnion credit report through Credit Karma is instantaneous.

If you unlock a credit report with one bureau, itwon'tautomatically unlock your credit with the other credit bureaus. You should unlock the reports with all three bureaus before proceeding with a loan or credit application, as different companies will use different credit bureaus for reporting.

Changing the lock status directly with the credit bureaus can be instant if done online, but may take longer if done via phone.

I recently changed the lock status on my account but Credit Karmaisn'treflecting the changes.

Ifyou'veenabled Credit Lock for the first time using Credit Karma, please refresh the page in order to reflect the changes to your lock status.

If your lock status continues to display incorrectly, contact our member support team.

I have a dispute open with a bureau. Can I still lock my credit report using Credit Karma?

If you already have a dispute open with a credit bureau, youwon'tbe able to lock or unlock your TransUnion credit report as part of the Credit Lock beta program during this time. Once the dispute has been resolved, youll be able to make changes to the locked status of your TransUnion credit report using Credit Karma.

However, you can lock your credit report by calling the credit bureau directly.

Can I both lock and freeze my credit at the same time?

No, each credit report can only be locked or frozen at any given time.

Will a credit lock or freeze affect my credit scores?

Locking or freezing your credit will not directly impact your credit scores. However, your credit scores will still be able to change while your credit is locked or frozen.

How can I join the Credit Lock beta program?

The ability to place a Credit Lock through Credit Karma is currently being rolled out to only some of our members. If your friend can see it but you dont, check back soon!