Young woman with credit card. “Exceptional.” Depending on one’s frame of mind, the word may conjure up anything from a mint condition rookie card to possibly being asked, again, to stay after class.

Your credit score isn’t just a number. It’s a financial gatekeeper. It tells lenders how risky—or reliable—you are when it comes to managing debt. Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, credit card, ...

Fact checked by Betsy Petrick Key Takeaways No two credit scores are the same, even if they belong to the same person. That's because the financial industry uses different scoring models for different ...