 TITLE: How to Manage Your Money CONTENT: Develop Good Credit Habits\n--------------------------\nGood credit can help you achieve milestones like buying your first home or car. It can also lead to lower interest rates and more favorable terms that can save you thousands or even hundreds of thousands over your life. To develop good credit, be sure to do the following:\n*   **Monitor your credit.** Your credit report contains information about your credit history and is evaluated by lenders when you apply for loans. By monitoring your credit, you can detect and dispute errors and inaccuracies and get an idea of where you stand financially. If you find that you don't have the best credit, you may want to focus on rebuilding it before you do things like take out a mortgage or apply for a personal loan.\n*   **Use credit cards wisely.** By being responsible with credit cards, you can stay out of debt, rebuild your credit and even redeem some rewards. Paying your balances on time and in full, keeping your balances low, and only swiping for large purchases when you have the cash to pay them off can keep you out of credit card trouble.\n*   **Apply for credit only when you need it.** Every time you apply for credit, a hard inquiry will appear on your credit report and can lower your credit score. To keep your credit score in good shape, apply for credit only when you need it. Multiple credit inquiries in a short time frame may signify you're living above your means or struggling financially. END