Posts Tagged ‘credit’

What’s Your Score?

By MARY ELLEN KALUZA https://www.lssmn.org/financialcounseling/blog/credit-credit-report/build-and-improve-your-credit-score Americans are obsessed with their credit score - checking it daily, paying for apps, even sending screenshots to potential mothers-in-law. The score is a source of pride and boasting. It can also be a source of shame and low self-esteem. It feels like that 3-digit number defines who we are. Have a good score? You're golden. Have a distressed score? You're tarnished.  Your credit score is based on information in your credit reports. Essentially it is your grade on what has been reported. That grade will determine if you can rent or buy a home, get a phone plan, get a job or promotion, have a decent interest rate on your car loan, how much you pay for insurance, and who will marry you. I tell my daughter she doesn't marry anyone until I see their credit report. Mostly I mean it as a joke, but one partner's poor credit score can hold the couple back [...]