More than 100 million Americans have a low or no credit score. These Americans are either locked out of the traditional finance system or pay higher fees and interest rates for access to credit. Additionally, they often pay more for insurance and other services.

But your credit score won't start at zero, because there's no such thing as a zero credit score. The lowest score you can have is a 300, but if you make responsible financial decisions from the beginning, your starting credit score is more likely to be between 500 and 700.

A very poor credit score can happen to the best of us. But even those with poor credit rarely see their scores drop to 300. This is the lowest credit score possible for both FICO and VantageScore. Several factors go into calculating a credit score, but your payment history is the biggest factor.

Generally, credit scores range from 300 to 850, making 300 the lowest possible credit score. But it's important to note that you typically have more than one credit score. And they may differ depending on the credit-scoring company and when they were calculated.

Generally, having no credit is better than having bad credit, though both can hold you back. People with no credit history may have trouble getting approved for today's best credit cards, for example - while people with bad credit may have trouble applying for credit, renting an apartment and more.

Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 500 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.

It is not possible to get a score of 900. Older models of the FICO® and VantageScore® went up to 900, and there are other specialized scores that have different ranges going up to 900. The FICO Auto and Bankcard Score 9, for instance, ranges between 250 and 900.

A very poor credit score can happen to the best of us. But even those with poor credit rarely see their scores drop to 300. This is the lowest credit score possible for both FICO and VantageScore. Several factors go into calculating a credit score, but your payment history is the biggest factor.

Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 500 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.

A 300 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.

As such, if you have one of these cards, you might consider a $5,000 credit limit to be bad and a limit of $10,000 or more to be good. Overall, any credit limit of five figures or more is broadly accepted as a high credit limit. The main exception to the usual credit limit rules are secured credit cards.

For instance, going from a poor credit score of around 500 to a fair credit score (in the 580-669 range) takes around 12 to 18 months of responsible credit use. Once you've made it to the good credit zone (670-739), don't expect your credit to continue rising as steadily.