How to Evaluate and Raise Your Credit Score

Summary: Why do some people get offers for pre-approved credit cards and others don't? What do car dealers know about your financial health that you don't know? The answer is your credit score.

Why do some people get offers for pre-approved credit cards and others don't? What do car dealers know about your financial health that you don't know? The answer is your credit score. Your credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula to estimate how likely you are to pay your bills. Based on the information in your credit reports from the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, your credit score has been a factor in your ability to qualify for loans and good interest rates for more than twenty years. Lenders compare your credit report with millions of others to determine your score. While there are a variety of credit scoring methods available to lenders, the most widely used is the FICO score. Based on a scoring system developed by Fair, Isaac & Co., FICO scores range from approximately 300 to 800 points and are provided to lenders by the three credit bureaus. You also have access to your FICO scores but will be charged a fee by each credit agency providing your report. According to Fair Isaac, the credit scores of the American public are divided as follows: