Yes, I know it’s February, but I suspect that the resolutions you made on New Year’s Eve have all been set aside and forgotten. So why not try something a bit more realistic now that the pressure of losing weight  and working out is over?

I would suggest that a great way to start (the rest of) 2017 is to take a look at your credit score, and see how you can improve it.  With credit scores determining not only if you can purchase a home, your credit score also plays a big part in obtaining insurance, credit cards, etc.

If you’re planning on purchasing a home  , the best thing to do is meet with a lender (and yes, I can make recommendations!).  The lender will pull your credit and if changes need to be made, will make suggestions.

If you’re already a homeowner, or not yet ready to become one, you can pull your own report for free once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com

Once you know your “number” and if it needs improvement, here are 5 things you can do:

• If there are errors on your report, dispute them ~ it will take some time and effort but really help!
• Set monthly goals to pay down credit cards ~ start with the small ones and then use that money to tackle the larger ones!
• Set up payment reminders ~ it’s easy to forget a payment with so much going on in our busy lives, so my reminder system saves me once or twice a month!
• Set up auto pay on your accounts ~ but remember to have the money in the account when the payment comes out!
• Use cash whenever you can ~ but remember that having credit is a plus on your report so don’t close out accounts, just keep the balance low and pay on time!