You’ve been laid off from your job. The ensuing drop in your income could hurt your FICO score.

FHA has a two-tier credit score system for insuring loans. First-tier loans require a minimum down payment of 3.5 percent, while second-tier loans require at least 10 percent. The first tier includes those with FICO scores of 580 or above, while the second tier includes those between 500 and 579. FHA does not insure loans with anything below a 500 credit score.

Credit Sesame is a Website that helps people manage their credit — its offering users free credit monitoring, a service that the big three credit bureaus offer for a fee. However, Credit Sesame monitors information from a single credit bureau — Experian.

With the average FICO credit score estimated at 690 (the highest possible score is 850), chances are most Americans wouldn’t mind some advice on how to improve. Of all consumers, just 25 percent have managed to achieve a score of 785 or higher.

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.