It's your GPA as an adult.

This is the worst time to miss a bill. Pay down any large credit card or other large revolving accounts if you can, because high balances will hurt your credit rating. And avoid opening any other accounts before the loan you're pursuing is closed.

The first stumble is really expensive. If you already have a low score and there's a delinquency, your score won't drop by as far.

Consumers who are thinking of opening one of these no-limit credit cards may want to think how deeply their scores will be affected.

In some ways, they've added one more card to their playing hand.

Wait until the paperwork is delivered before going out and borrowing more.