When borrowing money for large purchases, your credit history will generally have a significant impact on your ability to get a loan and the terms of the loan. Each individual has his or her own credit score so when applying jointly, the creditor will scrutinize both scores.

Credit scores range from approximately 300 to 850. When locking in an interest rate, the higher the score, the better the terms of credit you are likely to receive. You may be surprised to know you have more than one credit score. The credit scores are based on the information in your credit reports that are compiled by...