A credit score is a number that represents how reliable you are when it comes to borrowing money. It usually ranges from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating better creditworthiness. Lenders, like banks and credit card companies, use this score to decide if they will give you a loan or credit and what interest rate to offer you. Your credit score is influenced by several factors, including your payment history, the amount of debt you have, and how long you've had credit accounts. Keeping your payments on time and managing your debt wisely can help improve your score over time.