There is one account in your credit report that is a definite driver to higher credit FICO scores. Do you know which one it is? This is where mismanagement can truly drop your FICO scores. It can take years to recover if a mistake is made.

We all get that periodic letter saying that we have missed a payment on a bill and it will be sent to collections. Sometimes, we catch it in time to avoid damaging our credit report. Other times, we do not. This is when millions of consumers panic. Collection activity has changed over the last few years. It is good to know what you are up against.

Can You Check Your Lender’s Credit Scores for Free? In short, the answer is “No” – Why do you have to pay to get your same credit scores used by lenders? It is the difference between lender’s credit scores and credit scores marketed all over the internet. I’ll explain.