npr:

Your credit score can determine whether you can buy a car, get certain jobs, or rent an apartment. It’s a big deal. And so is this: Credit scores for many Americans are about to change — even if they don’t do anything.

The changes will be extensive. About 40 million Americans are likely to see their credit scores drop by 20 points or more, and an equal number should go up by as much, according to Joanne Gaskin, vice president of scores and analytics at FICO, the company at the heart of the credit scoring system.

Every five years or so, FICO updates the way it determines credit scores. This time the biggest change is in how it treats personal loans, Gaskin says.

Read the rest of the story at NPR.org