It is nice to know that this is possible. Unlike us you stayed on top of your finances and credit rating and now you are reaping the benefits of having done that. The credit rating nightmare is just that, a freaking nightmare. It is so easy for the credit demons to punish you by reducing your FICO score whenever they feel like it. Miss one payment and there it goes plummeting downwards. Now, if you make payments on time then they might reward you by giving back 1 to 9 points. It all depends on how generous the credit gods are. Once your FICO score dips below 600 it is damn near impossible to get it back up to where it needs to be. Struggling with getting dependable long term income to pay bills also affects your ability to maintain a good credit score. It is a rollercoasteer I cannot wait to jump off ot.