By Andrea Hardy

Tanisha only wanted to rent an apartment for herself and her two children. Little did she know that a history of not paying her utility and credit card bills  would make her search so difficult, ultimately forcing Tanisha to live in a much less desirable neighborhood.

Jonathan had everything going for him at an interview with a prestigious insurance company. References, his degree, and a couple of years working for a smaller firm left him feeling confident. Unfortunately, his less-than-perfect credit history would ultimately cost him this job opportunity.
More often than not, credit scores are being used as the new way to measure whether or not you can rent apartments, get preferred car and life insurance rates, have the cell phone you want; more recently, these scores are even determining whether or not you will get the job of your dreams.
Credit scores are simply a three-digit number used to measure someone’s financial responsibility. They range from 300 to 850, where higher is better.

As unfair as it may seem to use credit history to determine someone’s ability to hold a job or do a job properly, this nonetheless seems to be the trend. And who said life was fair anyway?

Undoubtedly, it is now more important than ever to make sure we as consumers check our scores and do all that we can to keep them at a decent range. The average score is 640. A score above 650 is generally a very good score, and consumers with these scores or higher have the best chance of getting preferred interest rates (and that job you want). So, when was the last time you checked your credit score?

To obtain a credit score you will first need to secure a credit report. A credit report is the document used to feed information into the formula that determines your score. There are three ways to get your credit score: over the phone, through the mail, or via the Internet. You will need a credit card or debit card to secure your credit score over the phone or Internet. The website www.annualcreditreport.com is the official website of the three credit bureaus, and it is designed so consumers can get one free copy of their credit report each year from each of the three bureaus.

For more information please contact Andrea Hardy at the CRT H.O.M.E. (Home Ownership Made Easy) Center. She can be reached at (860) 560-4210 or hardya@crtct.org.