Credit

If you’ve never been a victim of an information security breach or had your credit card data comprised or even paid much attention to the importance of securing and protecting your personal information, chances are you may now have a different perspective.

Your credit score really doesn’t have anything to do with how much money you make.

Simply meeting with a Financial Counselor will not have any impact on your credit report, whatsoever. Keep in mind that you have to share certain data with a creditor or any company that reports information to a credit bureau in order for that transaction to show up on your credit report.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  The data included in your credit report is a recording of your decisions, payments, requests, and overall handling of the credit you have sought and/or gained. 

Everything contained in your credit report is important and personal to you.  In addition to the names of your creditors and the balances that you owe them, information contained within your credit report includes your Social Security Number, your date of birth, your home address, and your place of employment.

While it is a great idea not to buy things that you cannot afford, you have to actually establish and use forms of credit in order to earn a credit score.  The more often you demonstrate that you are responsible with the credit that you have been granted, the stronger your score will be and the better access to credit you will have.

If you have decided to use your credit cards despite having heard and read about all of the negatives, then good for you.  Just remember that moderation and awareness are the keys.

It is never too early to begin to teach children about the value of money.

You can begin to improve your financial standing today. If you have finished reading this article, you are well on your way.