 TITLE: Does Your Credit Score Start at Zero? CONTENT: How to Build and Maintain a Good Credit Score\n---------------------------------------------\nOnce you have a credit score, how can you help maintain or improve it? First, you need to understand what is considered a good credit score. Both the FICO® Score and VantageScore models range from 300 to 850. Using the FICO scoring model, a score 670 or higher is considered good and a score of 800 or above is considered exceptional. A VantageScore 661 or above is considered good while a score 781 or above is considered excellent.\nThe higher your credit score, the more likely you are to be approved for loans or credit at the best rates and most favorable terms. The lower your credit score, the more difficult it will be to get a credit card, obtain favorable terms on a loan or even rent an apartment.\nWhether you want to improve your credit score from good to excellent or you're trying to raise your poor credit score to the fair range, there are plenty of things you can do right away to build credit history and improve your credit score. END