Bad credit

A term that refers to a person’s FICO credit score — a number between 300 and 850 that reflects a person’s history of paying bills on time and managing debt. Your score may be viewed differently by different lenders, but a score of 620 or lower is generally considered subprime. Having bad credit means it will be harder for you to get a credit card or a mortgage, student or car loan. And if you do get a loan or credit card, your interest rate will be higher because you are considered a credit risk.