Burglars and purse snatchers have nothing on your credit score! A low score can be stealing money right out of your pocket every month. This can add up over time to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here's how: Mortgage loans: Let's say you have a 650 credit score and bought a $200,000 house with a 30 year fixed rate loan. You are going to have to finance it at a rate 1-2% higher than the person rocking a 750 credit score. Over the course of 30 years (360 payments) this difference can add up to around $49,000! Auto Loans: the average American trades cars every 5 years. Based on this estimate, a person buying a $25,000 car with a 650 credit score will pay approximately $5400 more for EACH CAR than the person with a 750 score. Credit cards: a person with a 650 score has probably had some late payments and may have maxed out their credit cards. They will not get the great terms and plentiful options that a person with a higher score will enjoy. The average household carries $7300 in credit card debt (Yikes!). If we assume this amount, a person with the 650 credit score will pay $552 more in interest per year than a person with the 750 credit score. Gulp. So, if you have a 650 credit score, here's how much your credit score will steal from you over a 40 year period: Mortgage: $49,000 Auto: $43,000 Credit Cards: $22,000 Total amount the 650 credit score has stolen: $114,000 The figure would be much larger if this money had been invested in a mutual fund. At a 6% rate, this amount of money would have grown to about half a million dollars. Remember: protect yourself! Lock your doors, lock your windows, don't talk to strangers, and keep that credit score high!