Big debt, bad credit? This new Shreveport financial center should be able to help.

Your personal credit score affects what it costs you to finance a vehicle, where you can live, whether you can buy a house, get a loan, the interest rate you will pay on your credit cards, and sometimes, whether you get a job.

“Actually, it's a bigger predictor of your car insurance rates than your driving history,” added Joe Bulger, the director of financial services at Catholic Charities of North Louisiana in Shreveport. The score is a big deal.