Step-by-step scenario

I'm trying to build or fix my credit

Credit is a track record. Here's how it gets built, what hurts it, and what to do about debt.

1. 1

   How credit scores work

   What a credit score actually measures.

   A number lenders use as one quick way to estimate how risky it might be to lend you money.

2. 2

   Overdraft fees, bounced charges, and what your bank can do

   Why bouncing checks and overdrafts hit harder than people think.

   When a charge hits an account that can't cover it, banks have several options — and most of them are profitable for the bank.

3. 3

   How auto loans work

   How an installment loan affects your credit either way.

   Auto loans are short, fast, and shaped as much by the dealer as by the bank. The car is collateral, and the math gets ugly fast on long terms.