In an effort to clean your cluttered finances, you close three zero balance credit card accounts. Lightening your wallet feels good now, but the potential hit to your FICO Score could weigh you down later.

CoreLogic and FICO partnered last year to offer lenders an alternative credit score for more predictive scoring, which includes data previously not used in credit scoring, from a borrowers cell phone bill, utilities, payday loan activity, to child support judgments, evictions, property tax liens, the status of homeowner’s association dues, whether or not a borrower is underwater on their current home, or whether a borrower owns other properties that credit agencies typically miss.

The Bed Bath & Beyond Store brand Credit card is actually one of the better Credit cards offered by big brand retails if you qualify for it — it’s offered through U.S.Bank. This handy card offers no annual fee which a lot of other retails that offer credit cards do. Also, the Bed Bath and Beyond card is set up on a points program so that every dollar you spend on the card will accumulate points that can be used at the store for some amazing deals.

The future of your mortgage loan and the ownership of the home you have in mind depends on your three-digit credit score. Keep in mind that the minimum FICO credit score you need to get a mortgage loan is ultimately the decision of your individual lender.

Wells Fargo and Discover Card say they now provide free credit scores along with Barclaycard and First Bankcard — financial monitoring website, CreditKarma, touts that you can get your credit scores online in minutes — others now offering free scores include the online credit-educational sites Credit.com, Quizzle and CreditSesame.