If you haven’t started playing the FICO game yet, here are 10 little-known credit cheats that will help you get to the next credit level. There’s one score that follows you around for life — your credit score!

Having Credit Problems is the furthest thing from fun. People who find themselves mired in those problems only want to find a way to get out and they want to get out fast.

Your credit score or FICO is very important as you are defined by this ever changing number attached to your name. It can affect your ability to get a loan, your chance of getting a job and even increase the interest rate you pay.

Although 20 points doesn’t seem like much, it can mean a lot when it comes to your credit score. You wouldn’t know it from the consumer side, but there is a world of difference between a credit score of 580 and 600. Your options open up when you increase your credit score by 20 points, and they close up when your credit score decreases — find out how to increase your score by 20 points.

A home Foreclosure will stay on your credit report for seven years. This can make it difficult for you to purchase big-ticket items such as a car or a house if you cannot afford to pay cash. However, if your foreclosure was unjustly executed, or the institution that provided your mortgage is not fairly reporting your credit, there are steps you can take to have the foreclosure removed early.