You might be surprised, but having a finance company, payday lender, or car title lender listed as one of your creditors could affect your credit score. Finance companies and short-term lenders are often perceived as lenders of last resort which could negatively impact your overall credit rating. You may not have applied at an actual finance company, either; for example, if you get credit at a furniture store, the eventual lender could be a finance company instead of the store itself. When possible, avoid finance companies and other short-term lenders; if you have those types of accounts on your credit report, work hard to pay off the outstanding balance. Not only will your credit rating possibly improve, but you’ll also pay off relatively high interest rate loans, too.