Think of your credit score as your money report card. Banks and lenders look at it when you apply for a credit card, a car ...

Brittany Brown is a full-time copywriter writing covering real estate and personal finance topics like budgeting, investing, credit cards, and more. She is currently working to become an accredited ...

From canceling old cards to cosigning loans, these surprising missteps can quietly hurt your score. Learn what affects your credit (and what to do about it) — from the experts.