This week we’re joined by Liz Weston. Liz is a Columnist and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) whose goal is to help us get smarter about money. She's the author of five books including the best-selling "Your Credit Score: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future." Her “Money Talk” column appears throughout the country, including the Los Angeles Times and she has appeared on TV shows, such as CNBC’s Power Lunch, NBC Nightly News, and the Today Show. On this show Liz lends her expertise to help us cover:

• Why most people don't know they have hundreds of credit scores and that the FICO8 is the most commonly used by lenders
• The surprising, hidden cost increases your credit score might have on bills ranging from insurance, cell phone, to the down payments on your apartment and cable bill
• One mistake you can make that can lower your credit score over 100 points in one month
• Tips for rebuilding and repairing your credit history and credit score
• What credit utilization percentage and age you should use to determine when a consolidation loan or bankruptcy is the better option

Sponsor

Special thanks to our sponsor, FreshBooks. To get a free 30-day trial of their super-easy-to-use cloud accounting software, visit freshbooks.com/paychecks and enter “paychecks and balances” in the How Did You Hear About Us section.

References

Liz Weston

• Book: Your Credit Score: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future
• Twitter: @LizWeston
• Facebook: Ask Liz Weston
• Website: AskLizWeston.com
  • Article features from the show:
    • How to bounce back from bad credit
    • How to pay off your credit card debt
• Liz's NerdWallet Articles

Other Helpful Tools & Info

• Want to Know Your 28 Most Used Credit Scores? Visit MyFico.com
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling
• Objective Financial Planning Advice: The Garrett Planning Network
• How Much You Need to Save Each Month by Age to Retire a Millionaire
• Apps
  • Even
  • PersonalCapital
  • Mint