Want to get a new mortgage or even your first mortgage?  Then, your credit score is a really big deal- it can make or break your mortgage payments, and ultimately determine whether you get the house you want.  But before we talk about credit scores, let’s talk about the debt that affects them.

There are two types of debt: secured and unsecured.  When you borrow money to buy a house, the bank can take back the house to recoup their money if you don’t pay the debt.  That means the debt is secured-it’s being balanced against something that you want to keep and gives the bank some measure of security that they’re going to be able to recover the money that they’ve loaned you.

Unsecured debt, on the other hand, means the bank can’t reclaim the thing you’re buying with the borrowed money.  (Credit card debt is unsecured, and so are student loans.)

Click here to look at the impact of four key consumer loans, a mix of secured and unsecured debt, on your credit score-and ultimately, your mortgage worthiness.