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Your credit score is personal look at who you are and how responsible you are with your finances. To the world, it is a reflection of your behaviors and your character over an extended period of time. What you do and how you handle your money is recorded and available to thousands of people, and will affect your lifestyle for a lifetime.

Does this sound like I'm placing more than due importance on this than is due? Banks and credit card companies consider your credit score as an indication that you are a person that keeps their promises and manages their finances well. Consider that your credit score alone can determine what you are able to buy, what car you drive, where you are able to live, and even what job you may be able to get.

Credit scores range from 300 to 850 points and the three major credit bureaus each "score" your credit according to their own set of criteria. These criteria are weighted differently from bureau to bureau, but some of the factors are the same. They will look at how many credit lines you have open, and how long you have maintained them. They consider your payment history on each credit line. Even accounts that are closed will continue to affect your credit scoring for years to come. They will also see the total amount of credit available to you and how much of it you have used. Most importantly, legal judgments against you will also affect your credit score, as will debts sent to collection, charged off, settled for less than was due, or a bankruptcy or foreclosure.

All of this information becomes a part of your "permanent record". At the very least, most negative information is on your credit report for at least seven to ten years. Even after this, it is not always easy to have derogatory information removed from your report.

Why does all this matter? If you ever want a credit card, an auto loan, a personal loan, or a mortgage loan, your credit score is going to be the major deciding factor. And in some cases, it could actually make the difference of getting that better paying job you always wanted. Employers will often check your credit report before they make that job offer.

Credit cards provide users with a great deal of convenience and flexibility in the timing of purchases. You might think availing yourself of a great sale price on needed items is a good way to use your credit. And if you are responsible with your finances, and don't over-extend yourself, and pay your bills every month on time, you could be right. But if you are

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