Before we try to answer the question "whats my credit score" lets take a look at exactly what your credit score is.

Your credit score aka FICO score is a number somewhere between a low of 300 and the very best credit score of 900. If you have a credit score of 650 or higher this is considered a very good credit score, and can get you preferential treatment when applying for credit.

Your credit score is determined by the big three credit reporting bureaus, namely Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. As you pay your bills on time your credit score can increase, while paying late or not at all will decrease your credit score.

Other things affect your credit score as well, such as how many different types of debt an individual has and what the balances on those debts are in comparison to what they are paying each month. 

Your credit score is used by lending institutions as a means of helping determine if you are a good "risk" when lending money. If you have a high credit score you may find you can borrow money with lower interest rates, and better terms. If your credit score is low your loan offer may have less desirerable terms with a higher interest rate.

You may be surprised to know your credit score is sometimes checked by perspective employers, and even landlords! Why would they want to know your credit score? Well your score can show an employer if you could be "in trouble" financially and therefore be susceptible to taking a bribe or even embezzlling! The landlord of course wants to see if you're likely to pay your rent, and on time.

While the credit reporting bureaus may offer free credit reports, these seldom include your actual credit score. You can however get your credit report complete with your credit score by signing up for their credit reporting services. A free trial membership is sometimes offered which you can of course cancel before paying any membership fees.

You can also receive your credit report if you have been turned down for credit recently.

There are many websites online that for a fee will give you a copy of your credit report complete with your credit score, just Google "check my credit score" or "find my credit score".

Improving your credit score isn't rocket science and is something everyone should see if they need to do. You might be amazed at how much money you could save by raising your score just 100 points!

Here are a few tips to help you Improve your credit score:

1. Get copies of your credit reports and look for any errors on them. I once found a mortgage on my report that wasn't mine, you can imagine what an extra $900.00 of debt did to my debt to income ratio! If you find errors you need to take whatever steps are necessary to fix them.

2. Don't use all your available credit. Try to use only 1/3 of your available credit limits on your credit cards. This shows the agencies that you can handle your debt well. If this is a problem you can call the card issuer and request a higher limit, or transfer the excess onto another card to try and stay below the 1/3 of your available credit threshold.

3. Keep your accounts open and in good standing. Untapped credit looks good to the credit reporting bureaus, although you shouldn't try to load up on credit cards. You should however have a few and try to keep a low balance on each.

4. Pay all your bills on time! Very, very important in maintaining a good high credit score. It's estimated that 35% of your credit score is determined by payment history, so never let any bill go past due-even a library fine! One of the very worst things that can happen to your credit is to have a locked-in unpaid collection debt!

Having a "good" credit score can and will save you money-lots of money! A score just a hundred points higher can save you literally thousands of dollars over the life of a mortgage. Heck, it could save you thousands of dollars over the life of just a car loan. So don't make checking and fixing your credit score something you put off until another day-do it today. Your pocket book will be glad you did!