Keep in mind that changes in your FICO score take a long time to occur but if you live by the following guidelines, your credit score will improve over time.

Wells Fargo customers will have free access to one of their credit scores and credit reports until November 16, 2014 in conjunction with the American Bankers Association’s annual campaign “Get Smart About Credit.” It’s the third year of this promotion, according to a news release from Wells Fargo and it requires customers to visit a local bank branch to obtain their personal access codes for the data.

Credit scores — they’re like report cards for grown-ups. It’s a three-digit “grade” you get on a scale that ranges from 300 to 850. Your score indicates your creditworthiness to potential lenders, banks, landlords, insurance companies, and even to some employers, for instance. I’m sure you know that the higher your score the better.

FICO isn’t the only number used to determine your credit risk — the score that counts is the one your lender uses. There is no single credit score number — the compilers of the widely accepted FICO Credit Score allow lenders to customize their system, so different lenders produce different scores.

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.