The credit score scale ranges from 300 to 850 and is used to determine creditworthiness. Several things factor into an individual's credit score such as payment history, average age of accounts, number of inquiries on your credit report, and debt to income ratio to name a few. It is important to maintain a high credit score as companies use this information to determine financial risk when
. offering credit services. An individual with a low credit score may be denied services or be forced to pay exorbitant interest rates compared to their higher credit scoring peers. A good way to raise your score is to pay down debts and to make timely payments on any open accounts.