Renters, Improve Your Credit Score

Ah yes, the credit score: People obsess over it and that's because it's important.

A pristine credit score can be the key to easy loans at the best interest rates -- over the course of a lifetime, this can lead to thousands of dollars in savings. (You'll pay less interest on your mortgage and car loan, for example).

What's a good credit score, anyway? FICO scores range from 300 to 850; the average score is 680 to 700. You want at least that high. Even higher than a 700 is ideal.

The first step to cleaning up your credit score is seeing your credit report.