FICO Score is a term used to describe the number assigned to you in relation to your credit. It is simply a number used to represent your financial obligations in relation to your credit history. It is called FICO because this score is determined by software created by Fair Isaac and Company.

About a year ago, a few credit card issuers began sharing FICO Scores or VantageScores with their customers as part of their monthly statements. As competition heats up, more credit card issuers are now offering customers’ credit scores for free.

Anyone who has recently applied for a mortgage knows that lenders are already looking much more closely at your financial affairs. But soon, they’ll be able to easily delve into the deepest recesses of your financial life, accessing information that never before appeared on your credit report.

The majority of credit scores don’t increase or decrease every month, largely because the person is in what is known as “steady state” or equilibrium where their patterns of credit use and payment are balanced over time.

There are a wide variety of myths floating around about what you should and shouldn’t do to improve your credit reports and credit scores.