Great credit is a powerful tool

Credit report with score on a desk

Credit report with score on a desk

Credit scores are a financial tool, but whether they’re a lever or a hammer depends on how good they are.

You can leverage great scores into great deals — on loans, credit cards, insurance premiums and cell phone plans. Bad scores can hammer you into missing out or paying more.

The lifetime cost of higher interest rates from bad or mediocre credit can exceed six figures. In my latest for the Associated Press, how to save thousands of dollars in interest by building great credit.