93% of millennials are aware of their credit score, according to Discover’s Credit Health survey

One of the most common myths about credit scores is that checking your score negatively affects it. In fact, the survey found 23% thought checking their score has repercussions. This isn’t true, and you can check your credit score for free^[6] with most card issuers, such as Discover’s Credit Scorecard^[7] and Chase’s Credit Journey^[8], which are available to everyone.

“Our Credit Scorecard tool was designed to ensure that all consumers — not just Discover cardmembers — have free and easy access to their FICO® Credit Score and factors that impact it,” Gaurav Sharma, senior vice president of marketing at Discover, said in the press release. “An increase in both overall awareness and in the number of consumers checking their credit score is exactly what we hoped for when creating the tool.”

Even if you have a stellar credit score and are in a good place with your finances, O’Connell urges you to stay on track and stay accountable. She relates checking your credit to practicing yoga: “It’s not something you do once and leave. You’re not fit for life after a yoga class. It’s the same thing with money — we’re not in good financial shape forever because we checked our credit one day.”

While checking your credit score is a good action to take, it’s only the first step. After checking your score, O’Connell recommends you make a plan that can help you achieve any upcoming goals, such as purchasing a home.

“Keep yourself accountable,” O’Connell says. “Don’t just check your credit score and forget. Keep coming back to it and keep tabs on it.”