A measure of an individual's
creditworthiness. Credit scoring involves the quantification of a variety of factors in an individual's background, including a history of
default, the current amount of
debt, and the length of time that the individual has made purchases on
credit.
Banks and other
financial institutions may use a credit score to determine whether or not an individual is likely to
default on a
loan,
mortgage, or other
debt. The
FICO score is the most common credit score in the United States.