Lenders use the FICO score to see how risky you are.
A higher score will generally give you lower interest rates.
The makeup of a FICO score is:
- Payment history (35%)
- Amounts owed (30%)
- Length of credit history (15%)
- Types of credit in use (10%)
- New credit (10%)
You can get your FICO score for $19.95.
I've found that if you get a car loan quote at CarMax, they will send you the credit score that they got.
One of my credit card companies offers free FICO scores, which is snapshotted once a month.