11. Get a job
Employers check credit before deciding to hire you. Some government and financial jobs are particularly curious to know about your financial history. A bad credit history could cost you the job, or the promotion if you're already employed.12. Take some financial pressure off your spouse
When one spouse has better credit than the other, the spouse with good credit will be the one applying for the loans and credit cards. Improving your credit will let you bear some of the credit-brunt rather than placing it entirely on your spouse.13. Stop relying on co-signers
When you have bad credit, you'll often need others to co-sign for your loans and credit cards. If you can find somemone to co-sign, you're putting financial pressure on them but they don't receive any of the benefit. Repairing your credit will save you the time and hassle of burdening someone else with co-signatures.14. Start your own business
Starting a new business takes money, so many entrepreneurs rely on small business loans to get their businesses of the ground. Bad credit can keep you from getting the financing you need to start your new business. You'll have to improve your credit before a bank will give you a loan.15. Protect your children's credit score
Having bad credit can tempt you to use your child's credit. You might think you'd never do that but you never know what you'll do when your desperate. Say you have to have electricity turned on, but your credit's too bad. You could easily rationalize using your child's credit to have the electricity turned on. Keep your own good credit and you won't think about exploiting your child's.
