LadyF-
As I mentioned in other threads, I have a few connections with organizations that will boost your score 70-200 points in 45-60 days.. If you are interested let me know..
Note: The boost does not change negative items on your credit; just the score is changed..
This is important to know because some creditors (AMEX that I know of) do not just look at the score when considering issuing credit... The computer also looks to see if there are any "negative descriptions" in the last 24 months... In other word if you had a negative descriptions(charge off, write-off etc) reported 12 months ago even with a current score of 700 you will still be denied..
However, a score of 700 opens up other finacial doors that can be very lucrative.
BBOP