Can’t make your monthly credit card payments. It is important to understand what you can do in order to avoid late charges, increased interest rates and avoid having your credit score lowered. Taking the appropriate action can increase your ability to make future payments.

It may sound like the stupidest financial move ever: getting credit cards after bankruptcy. But done right, it may be one of the smartest moves you can make for your credit. The main purpose for getting new credit cards after bankruptcy is to help boost your credit scores, which most likely took a hit when you filed.

So, what is a FICO Score? It’s a number that is formulated based on your credit history helping lenders evaluate your credit risk. Your FICO Score is used to determine credit offers and interest rates — and now it’s free for you to view.

Identity theft is a form of stealing someone’s identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person’s name. The victim of identity theft (here meaning the person whose identity has been assumed by the identity thief) can suffer adverse consequences if they are held accountable for the perpetrator’s actions.

There are many misconceptions about credit scores out there. Every time you apply for credit, apply for a job that requires you to handle money, or even apply for some apartment living, your credit score it checked.