Experian, one of the three national consumer credit data firms, said it will make its FICO scores available directly to consumers who sign up for credit tracking services.

The credit bureau will also explain to consumers what factors contribute to their score and provide a timeline of alerts when something happens to change the score, the firm said.

Previously, consumers were able to access their Experian scores, as well as scores from the other two national bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, at myfico.com for a fee. They have also been able to access their credit reports as well, at no charge, once a year because of a legislative mandate.