maintenance

1. General: Activities required to conserve as nearly, and as long, as possible the original condition of an asset or resource while compensating for normal wear and tear.

2. Accounting: Periodic cost incurred in activities that preserve an asset's operational status without extending its life. Maintenance is an expense that, unlike capital improvement (which extends an asset's life), is not capitalized.

3. Engineering: Actions necessary for retaining or restoring an equipment, machine, or system to the specified operable condition to achieve its maximum useful life. It includes corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance.

4. Law: (1) Intermeddling in a litigation (without having a genuine stake) by taking sides, upholding of quarrels, and/or giving financial or other assistance to one of the litigant parties. See also champerty. (2) Financial support or supply of necessities given on court orders by one party to another such as upon a divorce or legal separation.

If your credit card balances go unpaid, your credit score will start to diminish. The next time one of your insurance policies is up for renewal, you may get hit with an unexpected rate increase. Insurance companies that check your credit score when considering your premium seem to assume that if you can't pay your bills, you might be letting your car or home maintenance slide, or you might be an irresponsible person in general, all of which could make you a higher risk by increasing your odds of filing a claim. Some employers also run credit checks on potential job applicants, and an employer who is concerned enough to check your credit score will probably be concerned enough to not hire you if it's poor. If purchasing or refinancing a home is in your future, your credit score is particularly important, as it will determine the interest rate on your mortgage, or whether you're even eligible for a mortgage at all.