FICO® Score A Better Future® Fundamentals

Credit is other people's cash—borrowed now and paid back later, with interest that quietly adds up. This lesson unpacks the difference between cash and credit, the two major credit types, and how interest rates and payments shape the real cost of borrowing.

A credit score isn't a grade for how much money you make—it's a prediction of whether you'll pay back what you borrow. This lesson unpacks credit reports, the three bureaus, and the five factors that drive your FICO® Score.

This FICO lesson provides an accessible starting point for understanding how to establish credit while getting a head start to effective credit management.