The Credit Score
Perhaps the most important piece of information on a credit report is the person’s credit score. This number expresses one’s creditworthiness, or the likelihood that he or she will pay bills on time. The higher the credit score, the lower the risk the person poses to the lender.
Scores are calculated using a number of different systems. One popular method, especially among mortgage lenders, is the FICO score developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation. Each of the credit bureaus also has its own scoring system: Experian uses the PLUS score, Equifax uses Score Power, and TransUnion has its own. All three also offer VantageScore, which is meant to rival FICO.