Under a provision of the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law that takes effect in July, all consumers who are turned down or don't get the best terms because of a credit score will get a copy of the credit score used, as well as information about where their scores fall among all consumers.
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Get your credit score via the steps in this checklist.
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You can also use a site like www.creditkarma.com to get your free credit score and see how various actions like paying down debt or closing an account would affect it.
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While this may not seem like the most trusting way to start a relationship, when times get tough having a different credit score from your partner is not necessarily a bad thing.
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But, she says, you can't wait until adulthood to learn about being frugal, or wait until you want to buy a home to learn that you need a credit record and a healthy credit score to get a mortgage.
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Default on your credit cards and you can get some nasty phone calls and a damaged credit score.
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Debt seems overwhelming now, but it can get much worse and ruin your credit score.
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You could also face taking a hit to your credit score if you get lured in by too many of these offers.
You can also use a site like creditkarma.com or quizzle.com to get a free copy of your credit score and some suggestions on how you can improve it.
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Another option is to find a co-signer with a higher credit score who would be able to get you placed in a higher tier.
Today a bad credit score can make it even harder to get bank financing for starting or expanding a business.
If you are a sluggard in paying bills and have a low credit score, are you more likely to get into auto accidents?
The silver lining to the housing bubble was the easy money, where anyone with a pulse and a credit score hovering just above a negative number could get a no documentation mortgage.
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If after gathering all of that information you are brave enough to send it off through the mail, the packet that you get back will simply summarize your credit rating, with absolutely no information about your insurance score.
When you combine that with the savings you might get from better rates on things like credit cards and auto loans, you start to see why a good credit score is important to your financial success.
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