This article tells how important your credit score really is. Your credit score is used for almost everything today from buying a car to even getting a job. Before 2001 credit scores were not available personally to you. After a California law made in 2001 you can obtain them all over the place for the least $9 all the way up to $80 for a years subscription. I personally think it is ridiculous that you have to pay to view your own credit. That should be your personal information and should be available to you at any time. Your credit score is used to determine the likelihood of customer's future claims, chances that you will pay your loans back, and your interest rate you will be paying. Employers are running credit to see what kind of problems you have. Apartment renters are also running your credit to make sure they get paid. I agree that they should have a credit score so you can know your risk of lending someone money. I couldn't think of any other way to do so. If a person has a history of not paying bills or repossession it is likely the same will happen to you. Granted there are always exceptions, but in general history always repeats itself. The main score used is called the FICO score. Scores range from 350 to about 850. It is said, 720 is the dividing score between the top half that will receive the best rates and the bottom half the will receive higher rates. They say how you can get your score all over the internet and soon in the future they will not be charging as much for this service.