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Money is hard to talk about when you feel ashamed about your situation. I'm a Certified Financial Therapist™ and Accredited Financial Counselor®. It's heartbreaking when couples share their debt challenges with me because they don't deserve to feel bad about themselves, but they do. It's even more complicated in marriage because it's so hard to talk about when your partner is affected by your debt. If you don't talk about it, it can be misinterpreted as financial infidelity,

I check my credit score because it's the most important gauge of my credit responsibility that lenders use to decide whether to lend to me and at what rate. My credit score impacts my insurance rates, and if I decide to work for someone else, it could impact my chances of getting a job. My credit score is my financial reputation. I love the feeling of seeing my perfect credit score, or something close to it. It's a financial habit I have, and here is why you should do it too.

The seamless, simple way you can use today's credit card has advantages and disadvantages. My phone is my wallet, and I take my phone everywhere. The autopay feature acts as my own free accountant, making sure I make every payment on time. The convenience is great, as long as we don't let it replace awareness. According to the CFPB, consumers disputed nearly $10 billion in credit card charges in one year. Forty percent of those disputes came from canceled recurring transactio

How to Budget When Your Spouse Won't: Part 9 of our 10 part budgeting series Click the interactive image above for a graphic explanation of the snowball and avalanche methods. The Avalanche Method When applying the avalanche debt repayment method, you first pay the highest interest rate loans. Once that loan is paid off, you put that money toward the account with the next highest interest rate until you are done. Then you repeat the process. If you can stick to it, this metho

How Misinformation Can Hurt Couples Financially, and What You Should Know Instead Marriage is an exciting new chapter, but it also brings with it complex decisions, especially around money and credit. Unfortunately, there are many myths about how credit works in marriage that can lead couples down the wrong financial path. Whether you’re newly married, planning to get hitched, or navigating a second marriage, it’s time to clear the air. 💪 And BTW, my subtle flex is that I ea

Do not let credit cards use you to destroy your wealth. You have the power to use credit cards to build your wealth. Credit cards can strain or cause arguments in a relationship. As a matter of fact, couples who disagree about financial matters are twice as likely to divorce as those on the same page about their finances. Not being on the same page about financial risks is the strongest predictor of divorce. Managing money as a couple is as much an art as a science. The only

Yes, my wife and I both had perfect credit scores. We manage our money as a team, and my job as a teammate is to manage our credit. I'm obsessive about it, and proud. Two weeks ago, I received an Experian alert that my FICO® Score dropped 20 points. Not because I missed a payment. Not because I maxed out a credit card. Not because of fraud or financial trouble. The drop happened because we paid off our mortgage and are now debt-free. After years of intentionally building, los

Many credit cards with annual fees offer valuable perks, including higher cashback rates, travel rewards, airport lounge access, and purchase protections. But these benefits only matter if you actually use them. If you're not traveling often or spending in the right categories, those perks might not justify the extra cost. When evaluating whether a credit card with an annual fee is right for you, ask yourself a few key questions: Will the rewards or savings you earn outweigh

If you have ever tracked your credit closely, you know how rare that number is. I had earned a perfect score before, lost it , and now earned it again. My FICO® Score landed at a perfect 850. Fast forward to November of 2025 and I noticed I did it again. Here is the important part. Getting there was not about (many) clever hacks, secret formulas, or financial wizardry. It was about boring consistency, clear roles, and my wife and I managing money like teammates instead of ass

Credit card debt rarely shows up all at once. It sneaks in quietly. A few months of higher grocery bills. Travel booked during a stressful season. One unexpected expense that never quite gets paid off. Before long, the balance is bigger than either partner expected, and the tension around it feels heavier than the number itself. That heaviness is not just psychological. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , the average credit card balance now exceeds $5,300

My first reaction when I read that consumers are signing up for 100-month car loans was heartbreak. Not frustration. Not judgment. Heartbreak. A 100-month car loan belongs in the same category as a 50-year mortgage. Both are signals of a deeper affordability crisis. Millions of Americans are doing everything they can to meet basic needs, and the math simply is not working anymore. When the only way to afford a necessary purchase is to stretch debt across nearly a decade, the

One of the most common hurdles couples face is dealing with credit card debt—a burden that can strain even the strongest bonds. Credit card debt is particularly troublesome during and just following holiday seasons. 37% of Americans racked up holiday debt in 2025, averaging $1,223 — up from $1,181 last year. The average for parents was $1,324, according to a new report by LendingTree . Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst, said in a statement to CNBC , “

In a dual-career household, financial teamwork is everything. But one number can make or break your ability to rent a home, buy a car, or...

When used wisely, introductory APR offers can be a powerful tool for managing debt or making strategic purchases. But if misunderstood or misused, they can backfire—leaving you buried under interest charges. As a national financial education expert and Accredited Financial Counselor®, I’ve seen how easy it is for everyday people to fall into this trap. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead. What Is an Introductory APR? An introductory APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is a pr

Credit scores quietly shape major decisions in our lives—buying a home, getting a car, renting an apartment, even landing a job. And in a...

Table of Contents What is a credit score? How is your credit score calculated? The five key credit building hacks I used Predict how...

I am not a credit card hater. Quite the opposite, actually. Using credit cards strategically and appropriately can lead to higher credit...

The Trump administration has neutered the government's consumer watchdog, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Since taking...

For many homeowners, the mortgage payment is the largest monthly expense. But what happens when you find yourself unable to make this...

Credit cards can be powerful tools for managing money and building credit—when used correctly. But without clear knowledge, they can also lead to debt and financial stress. As the nation’s only Accredited Financial Counselor® and Fair Play Facilitator®, I empower couples with systems to manage money and the home as a team — drawn from decades of national leadership and lived experience. I’ve also earned a perfect FICO 8 credit score, largely because of how I managed our cred