Growing up can be a little intimidating, paying bills, applying for loans, buying your first house… one thing remains the same though, and that is your credit score. This number isn’t just randomly assigned to you, it measures your financial responsibility over the years. If you have been sheltered from this hectic realm, then you probably don’t have a credit score (which can be a good or bad thing). To build good credit, you must ensure that you are ready to leap into the race of being fiscally responsible by paying your bills on time; not spending more than your credit allots you, and only taking loans out when you need them. There are other options to help build your credit score, like opening up a secured credit card, which allows you to make a deposit to that account and only have a credit limit up to the amount you deposit. This ensures that you stay under your credit limit and are able to make payments on time. Another option to help start your credit history is to be added as an authorized user on an account. This feature allows for a person to have a card name, but the liability of the card remains to the account holder. A similar way to build your credit score is to co-sign for a loan, which allows for you to sign the promissory note (promising to pay back the amount loaned) with another signer. This gives an opportunity for both signers to build a healthy credit score by paying off the loan on time.