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4/25/2014

About Today: What You Don't Know About Your Credit Score

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The credit score: It's one of the most important numbers in your financial life, and many people have no idea how it works. Fortunately for us, About.com Credit/Debt expert LaToya Irby is on the case. What does and doesn't hurt your credit score? How can you get it for free? And how can you repair it? The answers might surprise you.

What Affects Your Credit Score?
Most people understand that certain bad behaviors -- being late on a credit card payment, for instance, or defaulting on a loan -- will ding your score. But the truth is that there's a whole range of actions that can hurt your personal credit rating, including seemingly innocuous actions like applying for a lot of credit cards or spending too close to your credit limit. Here are some of the money moves that might be hurting your credit score.

Just How Many Credit Scores Do You Have, Anyway?
People tend to talk to about their "credit score." But it's really more accurate to talk about credit scores, plural. See, there are three main credit bureaus, each with their own scores. And different lenders will use scores from different bureaus, so you want to make sure that all three are looking good. Here's a basic primer on all the different credit scores that define your financial world.

How to Get Your Credit Score(s)
Okay, so you've got a bunch of credit scores, and they're clearly pretty important. Obviously you'll want to get a hold of them, partly to see if there are any errors and partly to see where you stand and what you need to do better. There's a lot of confusing information out there about where you can get your credit scores, so we've listed the websites that will actually give you your credit scores and reports for free.

How Can You Repair Your Score?
So you've obtained your credit scores, and they're not looking so hot. That, unfortunately, can seriously impact your ability to get loans and credit cards at reasonable rates. The good news is that bad credit isn't forever. It won't happen overnight, but here's how to start rebuilding and repairing your credit.


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