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Credit Score
Plain English
A number that estimates how likely you are to repay borrowed money, based on your credit history.
Professional definition
A numeric summary, typically ranging from 300–850 in common U.S. scoring models, generated from credit bureau data to estimate credit risk.
Example
Lenders often use a credit score to help decide whether to approve a loan and what interest rate to offer.
Common misconception
There isn't a single universal credit score — different scoring models (and different bureaus' data) can produce different numbers for the same person.