This Element is an excerpt from Homebuyers Beware: Who’s Ripping You Off Now?--What You Must Know About the New Rules of Mortgage and Credit (ISBN: 9780137020164) by Carolyn Warren. Available in print and digital formats.

Nine practical ways to raise your score--quickly and easily!

Do you just love supporting the fat cats on Wall Street? Want more of your hard-earned money going to increase their profits? No? Then you must pay attention to your credit score so you can qualify for a lower interest rate and pay less. Your FICO score, developed by those thoughtful Fair Isaac Corporation folks, is....