Before you even get to “I do”, get credit repair help for both of you! Money is a leading source of marital problems and more than half of marriages end in divorce. To prevent this, do the most important, and scariest ‘nakedness’ of a relationship – financial transparency. Know each others’ income, expenditures, ‘guilty pleasures’, ambitions, even how the person was raised financially. Do they save and for what? How do they handle loss? Are they cautious, thrifty, and resourceful, or a compulsive/secret shopper or even a gambler? Do you really want to get “in bed” with that? Choose responsibly.

A credit file and a credit report or score are not interchangeable terms. It’s like live TV versus a snapshot. A credit file accumulates your payment history, updating every time you pay or fail to pay for something. Interpersonal loans and most landlords don’t report, but utility, rentals, credit cards, and mortgages do report. A credit report is a snapshot of the file, converted to a numerical score. Credit repair help starts with your credit file. You can get it free once yearly or if you were recently denied something based on your score, are unemployed, or receive public assistance.

When expenses exceed income, correct action must be taken—increase income or reduce expenses, not put it on a credit card.

Some signs you need credit repair help are:

• You use a credit card to pay for rent and food.
• You are paying rent, utility bills, or car payments late because you don’t have the money when it’s due.
• You use one credit card to pay another, making minimum payments.
• You lack insurance because you can’t afford the premiums.
• You are afraid to read mail or answer the phone, it may be a debt collector.