The weather is warm. The birds are chirping. And flowers are in full bloom. So the last thing you probably want to be thinking about is your credit score. But if you have less-than-good credit (usually defined as a score below 660), as roughly 45 percent of people do, according to WalletHub data, your score could easily wind up casting long shadows over your prospects for spring and summer fun, not to mention your bank account balance.

So a seasonal refresher course may come in handy. In particular, it’s important to point out which commonly held beliefs about credit scores are actually inaccurate. Credit scores are ultimately quite simple, after all. They’re based on the contents of your major credit reports and depend heavily on your payment history. But it’s easy to wind up way off course if you buy into certain key misconceptions.

Here are some of the most notable credit score myths out there.

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[See: 12 Simple Ways to Raise Your Credit Score.]

[See: 12 Habits to Help You Take Control of Your Credit.]

[See: 8 Ways to Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards.]

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4 Credit Score Myths Debunked originally appeared on usnews.com