You probably know that your credit score is an important indicator of your financial future. It also happens to be one of the most difficult aspects of your personal finances to manage. The temptation to overextend yourself, as well as avoid paying bills and ignore credit card statements when things go south have made maintaining a good credit score challenging for many people. And yet, for all its challenges, a strong credit score remains an important part of future financial success. A good credit score can save you money on interest rates on car loans, mortgages and personal loans, while a bad one can make it much more expensive to borrow money and almost impossible to get an apartment lease or cell phone contract without a deposit upfront. If you’ve let your financial habits slip recently, here are five ways you can improve your score and rebuild your financial future.