I’m not quite bankrupt, but I’m on the fast track there.  At least that’s what my bank told me when I tried to apply for an auto loan recently.  Apparently my credit score is at the bottom of the barrel, which surprised me a little because I always make sure to pay my bills on time.  They told me that my credit utilization was too high, which sounded a bit like Greek to me, but what it means in layman’s terms is that my credit card balances are too high when compared to the limits on my credit cards.  I didn’t know this, but carrying high balances increases what they refer to as credit utilization which decreases your credit score, making you a poor candidate for getting approved for a loan.  So even if I continue to make my minimum monthly payments on time it will make no difference - if my balances remain high I’ll never be able to get a loan or get approved for a mortgage.  What I’ve got to do now is figure out how I can pay more than the minimum monthly payment to start bringing the balances down a little – that’s the only way my credit score will ever go up.