Watch out delinquent parents, your credit history can be checked by agencies that enforce child support payments. While the inquiry itself will not count on your credit report, failing to make your court-ordered child support payment can.

Abercrombie & Fitch focuses on casual wear for young consumers and Abercrombie & Fitch is known for its production of “high-end” or “near-luxury” products. Though their prices are generally higher than other casual wear retailers, the chain offers an in-store credit card to make their products readily available.

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.

With the newest version of the FICO credit scoring system, minor delinquencies are now overlooked in calculating creditworthiness.

U.S. banks are easing credit standards in search of a safe and profitable middle ground after an era of reckless home lending gave way to the stiffest rules in decades, putting a damper on the housing recovery. Wells Fargo (WFC) & Co., the biggest U.S. home lender, two weeks ago cut its minimum credit score for borrowers of Fannie Mae-and Freddie Mac-backed loans to 620 from 660.