You are about to get married, and your Fiance’s FICO Score is 200 points lower than yours. Once you wed, your scores will be combined, and your mate’s low score will pull yours down.

Home ownership is a part of achieving the American dream. For many, the only thing standing between them and owning a home is a low credit score. Lenders rely heavily on FICO Scores when determining whether to fund a mortgage — low credit scores equate to high risk. Still, it isn’t impossible to get a mortgage with a low credit score.

Credit reporting bureaus continually update credit reports as they receive information from lenders. Your credit score may change with these updates as lenders add new information to your credit report but also as old information drops off your report. How updates affect your credit score can depend on your overall credit history.

Your credit score is used by lenders to determine if you can get a mortgage loan and what interest rate they will charge you.  It is also used to obtain a car loan, cell phone contract –- even employers and landlords check it!  This is a precious 3 digit number you should try your best to protect.