The phrase "less than stellar credit" refers to a person's or an organization's credit history that is not very good. It means having poor credit, which can result from late payments, defaulting on loans, or maxed out credit cards. This type of credit rating may make it difficult for someone to obtain new lines of credit, as lenders see them as a high risk due to their past financial behavior. In short, "less than stellar credit" means having a low credit score and a history of not managing money responsibly.