Writing a business blog without discussing personal credit and the components that comprise your score feels like teaching someone to ride a bike without wheels. In my career in business finance I can't count the number of times a few tweaks to a client's personal credit score could have boosted the overall appeal of a request to either push it from a decline to an approval, or a good approval to a great approval.

In the lending world, we often start talking about credit after it’s already become an obstacle. But building a strong credit profile takes time—and that includes the age of your accounts. A good credit score boils down to good habits, disciplined budgeting, thoughtful forecasting, and consistent monitoring.