There’s no need to waste your time — and some short-term damage to your credit score — by applying for a credit card offer that’s out of your league. This first step is crucial because the information in your credit reports — and the scores that are calculated as a result — will be critical in determining which cards you get and how much you pay for them.

Your FICO Score is a very important indicator of how well you’re doing credit wise. FICO Scores can be retrieved at a small cost but there are some ways to obtain your credit report and sometimes your score for free.

The credit bureau keeps record of an individual’s credit history. A credit bureau prepares an individual’s credit report that contains every payment detail for that individual. A credit report also contains an individual’s personal information such as the name, residential address, official address, etc.

Prepaid MasterCard is the easiest way to pay — just load one with funds and use it for all the things you use cash for such as shopping, bill payments, or everyday purchases. You can use MasterCard Prepaid cards wherever Debit MasterCard is accepted and get the added convenience that cash doesn’t offer.

The average American credit score is 678, but there is a range of credit scores that auto loan lenders will find acceptable. You can qualify for a auto loan with a low credit score, but you may need to seek alternative lending options to do so. In order to secure a auto loan with a traditional lender, you will need to be in the medium to low-risk credit range — this credit score range includes all scores more than 650.