 TITLE: How to Achieve the Highest Credit Score CONTENT: What Are the Benefits of Having a High Credit Score?\n----------------------------------------------------\nThere are several reasons to work toward a high credit score, and all of them involve saving money:\n*   **Score lower rates on car loans**: Unless you have enough cash to buy a car outright, you'll likely need to get an auto loan. Having a good credit score can help you secure a loan with the best possible terms. Consumers with the highest credit scores qualify for an average interest rate of 4.2% on a new car, compared with 14.97% for people with the lowest credit scores, according to Experian data.\n*   **Get credit cards with great rewards**: You can qualify for a credit card with just about any type of credit. But the best credit cards in terms of rewards and benefits typically require good to exceptional credit scores.\n*   **Qualify for the lowest rate on a mortgage**: Given the amount of money involved, your mortgage is the loan you'll want to get the lowest interest rate possible on. It's worth putting in the extra work to shop around and negotiate, as even a small percentage increase can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. Getting your credit ready for a mortgage is an essential step in the homebuying process.\n*   **Negotiate lower interest rates on your credit cards**: If you completely pay off your credit card balance each month, your credit card APR is irrelevant. But if you're carrying a balance, having a great credit score could help your negotiations with your lender to lower your interest rate. Getting a lower interest rate could save you a lot of money.\n*   **Get better insurance rates**: If you're shopping around for homeowners or auto insurance rates, having a great credit score may help you qualify for a lower monthly premium—except in certain states where the practice is banned.\n*   **Refinance your loans to save money**: If you've improved your credit score since you opened one of your loan accounts, you may be able to refinance it at a lower rate and save money. END