Book excerpt: It seems that everywhere you turn, someone wants to know your credit score. It doesn’t matter if this is you or someone from your bank. Many landlords will even run a potential renter’s credit as this will usually give them insight as to whether the person will pay their rent. The landlords will also have guidelines to use in order to tell you if you are approved or not approved based on your credit score. While some may allow you to have a cosigner if you are not approved, they will also want to run your co-signer’s credit report. This is often frustrating to many people, especially when you are trying to repair your credit. It can make you feel that you are never given a break or that your identity is now your bad credit. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, the more you learn about the details of what bad credit is and how there are federal laws to help you overcome bad credit, the faster you will find yourself in financial freedom. Your credit score is vital to your life. It is something that helps you to enjoy life as you have added access to financial services and various investments. You must understand how your score can directly influence what you can purchase so that you can enjoy your life. The problems you have with your credit score can be very dramatic and you might not be fully aware of what affects your credit score or how valuable it is to you. Those people who pay off their debts and lines of credit with on-time payments will be more likely to have better credit ratings. There are many things relating to your credit score that should be explored that go well beyond just your payment history.