A credit score is often treated like a financial grade. It’s the number people look at when you are applying for a loan, renting an apartment, or even getting a job. But while it’s important in certain situations, it doesn’t tell the full story of your financial health. In fact, it misses some of the most important pieces.
What a credit score really measures
Your credit score is primarily designed to help lenders assess how likely you are to repay borrowed money. It looks at factors like your payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, types of credit, and recent credit inquiries. In other words, it’s a tool for measuring how you manage debt, not how you manage money overall.
You can have an excellent credit score and still struggle financially. You can also have a lower credit score and be in a strong financial position because you avoid using credit altogether.
What really matters for financial health
If your goal is long-term financial stability and peace of mind, there are more meaningful metrics than your credit score. Here’s what you should pay attention to:
Cash flow mastery. This is the foundation of your finances. Are you consistently spending less than you earn? Positive cash flow gives you the flexibility to save, invest, and plan for the future. Even if your income isn’t high, managing it wisely can make a big difference.
Emergency readiness. An emergency fund helps protect you from unexpected events such as a job loss, medical expenses, and home repairs. Having three to six months of living expenses saved can prevent you from going into debt during a crisis.
Debt load and structure. How much you owe, and what kind of debt it is, plays a major role in your financial health. High-interest consumer debt, such as credit card balances, can be a major drain. On the other hand, low-interest, long-term debt (like a mortgage or student loan) may be more manageable.
Savings and investments. Building wealth takes time and consistency. Regular saving, even in small amounts, can have a big impact. A credit score doesn’t measure this, but your future self will.
Financial knowledge. Understanding how your money works is essential, such as knowing how interest compounds, how taxes affect your income, and knowing how to set financial goals. You don’t need to be an expert, but increasing your financial literacy over time helps you make smarter decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
Confidence around money. Financial health isn’t just about numbers. It’s also about how you feel. You might have a great credit score but still feel anxious every time you check your bank account. Feeling stable and secure is a sign that your financial system is working for you.
Your credit score is just one small piece of the puzzle. It matters when you’re borrowing money, but it’s not a full measure of how well you’re doing financially. Treat it like a tool – useful in the right context, but not the final word.
It’s easy to overlook the ordinary. A zipper, a fork, a paperclip. Each plays a small but essential role in daily life. Yet behind many of these tools are extremely interesting, strange, or accidental histories. Here’s a closer look at the real origins of some of the objects we use every day.
The paperclip: A symbol of resistance
The paperclip may seem like a product of office supply boredom, but its story is more complicated…and even political. While several designs emerged in the 19th century, the most widely recognized version was never patented. Norwegian inventor Johan Vaaler filed a similar patent in 1899, but it was less functional than the Gem-type paperclip we know today, developed by an unknown British manufacturer.
Oddly enough, during World War II, Norwegians wore paperclips on their lapels as a silent protest against Nazi occupation. It became a symbol of resistance and unity, proof that even the smallest items can carry weight.
The fork: Once seen as excessive and unholy
The fork is now a staple of Western dining, but for centuries it was considered unnecessary, even decadent. In medieval Europe, people ate with their hands, spoons, and knives. When forks began appearing in Byzantine courts, they were viewed by some religious leaders as prideful, a sign of vanity or softness.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that forks gained acceptance in France and Italy. Catherine de’ Medici is often credited with bringing them to prominence in Europe when she married into the French royal family. By the 18th century, forks had gone mainstream, changing table manners forever.
The zipper: A name that made it stick
The zipper’s development was a slow burn. In 1893, Whitcomb Judson introduced a clasp locker meant to fasten boots and shoes. His invention, though, turned out to be bulky and unreliable. In 1913, Gideon Sundback improved the design, creating what we now recognize as the modern zipper. But it wasn’t until the B.F. Goodrich Company used it on rubber boots in the 1920s, and called them Zipper boots, that the name and invention caught on.
Zippers weren’t just for fashion. During WWII, they became standard on military gear, appreciated for their speed and simplicity. Today, billions are manufactured each year, quietly holding our world together.
The eraser: Once made of bread
Before rubber, people erased pencil marks with…bread. Crustless, balled-up bread was the go-to erasing tool from the 1500s until the late 1700s. In 1770, British engineer Edward Nairne accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of bread and discovered it worked better. He began marketing rubber erasers soon after.
The term rubber itself came from this use. It described a substance that could rub out pencil marks. It wasn’t until vulcanized rubber (made more durable by adding sulfur) was invented by Charles Goodyear that erasers became a durable staple of stationery.
Look for the hidden stories all around us
Everyday objects are often invisible until we pause to consider them. Yet their histories are full of innovation, cultural resistance, accidents, and reinvention. They remind us that even the most ordinary things have extraordinary stories, if we take the time to look closer.
With the cost of college rising rapidly, it can be overwhelming to think about how to pay your way through school for either yourself or your kids. Fortunately, saving hundreds, or even thousands, is possible. Teenagers can help keep down the cost of their future college tuition by taking the following classes and exams while in high school:
Advanced Placement (AP) classes and exams provide the opportunity for high school students to take college-level classes at their high school and an exam at the end of the
school year. Many colleges will accept AP credits as placement and/or college credit. Most will accept a passing grade of 3, but some universities may require a score of 4 or 5 to earn college credit. (AP exam scores range from 1 to 5.)
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests also offer the opportunity to earn college credit by passing an exam. However, instead of taking a class, you must study on your own and schedule an exam at a testing center when you’re ready. CLEP exams receive a score between 20 and 80. A score of 50 is typically the passing score to obtain college credit, but each university sets its own requirement. It is important to note that while many colleges accept CLEP credits, some top schools do not.
Dual enrollment classes allow high school students to take college courses at a local college or university and earn both high school and college credit. You must be a high school junior or senior to qualify for the program. Dual enrollment credits are widely transferable.
Cost of Exams and Potential Savings
AP exams cost around $100, while CLEP tests cost $93 plus an additional administrative fee while dual enrollment programs pay for tuition, fees and books. According to the College Board, the average cost of a 3-credit class at a four-year college ranges from $1,200 to $4,500, meaning for each 3-credit class you test out of, you save hundreds—potentially thousands–of dollars!
Additionally, earning college credit in high school can enable you to finish college in less than four years. Just make sure that when you’re choosing a college, you pay attention to whether or not the schools accept AP and/or CLEP exam scores as credit.
If someone asks what your most valuable asset is, your answer might be your house, vehicle, or investment portfolio. But there’s another answer to this question that’s worth considering – yourself.
As you seek out opportunities to increase the value you bring to the table both in your personal and professional life, here are some ideas.
Meet one new person each week. Research shows that up to 85% of workers land a new job through networking. In other words, who you know may be more important than what you know. Consider expanding your network and potential job prospects by meeting someone new in your industry, or a related industry, each week.
Learn a complimentary skill. This will help you create meaningful points of difference that you bring to the table every day. For instance, if you’re an engineer, learn how to be a better writer. If you’re a marketing executive, consider taking finance and accounting courses. Or consider becoming an expert in an area of interest to help you land a complimentary job or meet people with similar interests.
Increase awareness about yourself. You may be the best in the world at what you do, but if companies don’t know you exist, you’ll never get better opportunities! Joining an online forum related to your industry and finding opportunities to volunteer and help other people is one way to increase awareness about yourself to prospective employers.
Aim for a personal best in your favorite activity. Get in shape (and stay in shape!) by picking your favorite activity and aiming to achieve a personal best. If you’re a runner or a walker, for example, pick a time that would be a personal best for completing a set distance, then work toward achieving that goal. Taking care of your physical and mental health will help you accomplish more in every other area of your life.
Improve your interpersonal communication. Think about the most important relationships in your life – whether it’s with your parents, spouse, children, best friends, or someone else – and find three ways you can improve your communication skills with those people. With the time, money, and education that many spend to improve their professional skills, consider a small investment to improve your interpersonal skills.
Life can alter your taxes with little to no warning. Here are several situations where you may need to schedule a tax planning session:
Getting married or divorced. You could get hit with a Marriage Penalty in certain situations when the total taxes you pay as a married couple is more than what you would pay if you and your partner filed as Single taxpayers. The opposite can also occur, when you benefit from a Marriage Bonus. This often occurs when only one spouse has a job or earns income in other ways such as a business. Another situation when tax planning becomes critical is if you and your future spouse both own homes before getting married.
If you’re going from Married to Single, make the process include tax planning. Under divorce or separation agreements executed after 2018, alimony is no longer deductible by the spouse making payments and isn’t considered taxable income for the spouse receiving payments at the federal level. The opposite is true for divorce or separation agreements executed before 2019 – alimony is generally deductible by the spouse making payments and must be reported as taxable income by the spouse receiving payments.
Child support is also not deductible by the spouse making payments, and isn’t considered taxable income for the spouse receiving payments. In addition, not all assets are taxed the same, so their true value will vary.
Growing a family. Your family’s newest addition(s) also comes with potential tax breaks. You’ll need a Social Security number for your newborn child and to understand the impact this little gem will have on your full-year tax situation. These include breaks to help pay for child care or adoption-related expenses, the child tax credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Changing jobs or getting a raise. Getting more money at work is a good thing. But it also means a higher tax bill. So you may need to review your tax withholding to ensure there are no surprises at the end of the year. And when leaving an employer, expect a tax hit for severance, accrued vacation, and unemployment income payments.
Another potential tax problem if you get a raise or otherwise earn more money is that you may no longer qualify for certain tax breaks, as most tax deductions and tax credits phase out as your income increases. Consider scheduling a tax planning session to discuss the phase out thresholds that may affect you in 2024.
Buying or selling a house. You can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married) of capital gains when you sell your home, but only if you meet certain qualifications. A tax planning session can help determine if you meet the qualifications to take advantage of this capital gain tax break, or other home-related tax breaks such as the mortgage interest deduction or credits for installing qualified energy-efficient home improvements.
Saving or paying for college. There are many tax-advantaged ways to save and pay for college, including 529 savings plans, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Lifetime Learning Credit. As you plan your future, understanding how these expenses can be managed often happens long before you begin your college journey.
At the end of the day, when in doubt please reach out. There is no reason to pay more than you need to and a simple tax planning session can make all the difference.
Kids can pose challenges from every direction for their parents – feeding times, car seats, sleep schedules, strollers, child care, and of course…taxes! What most parents don’t consider is that these bundles of joy complicate their tax situation. Here are some tax tips that may help:
Start a 529 education savings plan. 529 education savings plans are a great way to kick off the baby’s savings for the future. These plans offer low-cost investments that grow tax-free as long as the funds are used to pay for eligible education expenses (including elementary and secondary tuition). States administer these plans, but that doesn’t mean you are stuck with the plan available in your home state. Feel free to shop around for a plan that works for you. Starting to save early, even a little bit, maximizes the amount of tax-free compound interest you can earn in the 18+ years you have before kids go to college.
Bonus tip for family and friends: Anyone can contribute up to $18,000 to the plan in 2024 for each child! In addition, there is a special provision for 529 plans that allows five years worth of gifts to be contributed at once — a great estate-planning strategy for grandparents.
Update Form W-4. Every year, parents need to review their tax withholdings. Remember, the birth of a child brings new tax breaks, including a $2,000 Child Tax Credit, along with the Child and Dependent Care Credit for childcare expenses. These credits can be taken advantage of now by lowering tax withholdings and increasing take-home pay to help cover the cost of diapers and other needs that come with babies and children. On the other side of the coin, these benefits fall away as your kids grow older. The Dependent Care Credit is for children under the age of 13 and the Child Tax Credit is available for kids under the age of 17. So plan accordingly.
Prepare for medical expenses. Having a baby is expensive. So is watching your kids grow up! Fortunately, there are ways to be tax smart in covering the predictable medical and dental expenses. The first thing to do is try to pay for as many out-of-pocket expenses with pre-tax money. Many employers offer tax-advantaged accounts such as a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). So check this out and fund these accounts as much as possible. And while it’s more difficult to claim medical expenses as an itemized deduction, it’s impossible to do so if you don’t keep receipts.
Having a kid can be expensive. Schedule a tax review today to make sure you’re getting all the child tax breaks you deserve!
