Your credit score plays a vital role in your financial health. It can impact your mortgage options and determine whether you can take out a loan or secure a credit card. Your score could even affect your living arrangements since many landlords use credit checks when evaluating a new tenant ...

Having a good credit score is always important to consumers planning to apply for a loan or to get or keep a good deal on a credit card, but that's especially the case in an uncertain economy. "In difficult times, lenders are pickier about the loans they make and ...