Credit scores can range all the way up to 850, and such a score is considered perfect credit. You don't have to have totally perfect credit. But it is advisable to keep your credit as close to perfect as you can.

This score is based on an accumulation of various data about your credit card accounts, loans, and mortgages - and so on. All of these play a role in determining what your score is.

There are several criteria that are used to determine what kind of score you have. For example, there is a concept called debt to income ratio. That may sound complicated but it's actually very simple. Essentially, if you think of your overall income as a pie chart, imagine that only a certain portion of the pie can be used for debt payoffs.

Creditors are aware that if you have a certain amount of debt (in perspective to your income), a couple things can happen. First of all, the likelihood that you may start making minimum payments or eventually stop paying your credit card bills (or loans, mortgages, etc.) altogether, greatly increases. This puts you into a higher risk category of being a loss to an existing or potential lender.

Debt to income ratio is only one factor that affects your credit score. There are others, such as how many accounts in your name are open currently, how close to your limits you are, and so on.

Another factor is your credit history which includes things like whether you've missed a payment, and how often you pay above your minimum amount due.

It is important to keep your credit in high standing. If you get a copy of your report and find that it is not as high as you expected, you have options. You're not stuck! You can engage in credit repair services. You may choose debt consolidation (however, make sure to research how consolidation services themselves impact your credit score before doing so).

If you feel that something on your credit report is incorrect, you can actually have it fixed. Start by contacting the agency who furnished the report to you and ask them what legal steps you are eligible to take in order to get incorrect information removed from your credit report. This will improve your score. You'd be surprised how much control you have!

If you have great credit, keep it that way! Don't miss payments or only pay minimums. Pay down your debt and try to keep it as minimal as possible. Don't over-spend or use credit just because it's there. That is the path to your financial destruction! If you have enough income to support you and your family (and live comfortably) then you should avoid debt altogether. It's not necessary to live above one's means!