 TITLE: How Does Your Credit Score Impact Your Retirement? CONTENT: Why a Good Credit Score Is Important in Retirement\n--------------------------------------------------\nYour credit scores continue to play an integral role in determining your options and expenses during retirement. For example, your credit can be important if you want to:\n*   **Move to a new home.** You may want to move to a smaller home or an area with a lower cost of living. Landlords will want to review your credit before accepting your rental application. Or, if you plan on buying a home, your credit can impact your ability to get a mortgage and the interest rate you'll receive.\n*   **Renovate your home.** Perhaps you want to add a room, create a new outdoor space or make other changes to your home. A personal loan or cash-out refinance could help you fund the project. The better your credit, the more likely you'll be able to get approved for a large enough loan with a low rate.\n*   **Travel the world.** If travel is on your to-do list, you might be interested in a rewards credit card that you can use to earn miles, points or cash back. You can then redeem your rewards to cover your travel expenses. The catch? The best cards often require a good to excellent credit score.\n*   **Pay for medical expenses.** Health care costs can rise with age, and having good credit can help if you want to pay a bill over time or are taking out a loan in anticipation of an upcoming procedure.\n*   **Lower your monthly bills.** Lowering your monthly expenses can make a big difference when you're living on a fixed income. With good credit, you may be able to refinance a mortgage or auto loan to lower your interest rate and monthly payments. Or, you could save money by taking out a low interest personal loan to consolidate higher interest debts. Good credit can also lead to cheaper homeowners insurance and auto insurance in most states.\n*   **Help your family members.** Good credit also allows you to help a child or grandchild get their footing by cosigning an apartment lease or auto loan.\nPut simply, whether or not you're borrowing money, good credit can give you more opportunities and lower your expenses. END