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Picture this… You roll over in bed, fumble for your phone and realize you’re late for class. Normally you’d just pull the blanket over your eyes and call it a day but today’s your political science final and if you miss it you’ll be stuck taking the course again next semester. And that’s not going to happen! You quickly hop out of bed, grab the closest pair of jeans and throw a shirt on and scoop up your keys, gum and deodorant. As you race through the kitchen you grab a granola bar and burst out the front door. “I’m going to make it” you mutter under your breath as you jump into your car and put the key in the ignition….then it happens. The engine sputters, the exhaust pipe lets out a loud pop and smoke begins billowing from beneath the hood. You sit there in silence watching smoke emanate from the front of your car while the bright red check engine light mocks you. Defeated, you slink out the car, slam the door, fall to your knees and let out a guttural yell.

In the spring of 2001 I found myself checking the mail daily, hoping that my very first credit card would arrive. My mom, who was always right – just ask her – had warned me of the dangers of having a credit card.

You’ve probably already heard about credit scores (thanks to all those annoying commercials with terrible songs), but what do you actually know about them? How long have they been around? And what’s the big deal about checking them?

Occasionally, we like to feature guest posts from other organizations. America Saves is a non-profit dedicated to teaching people like you, me, us, how to be financially responsible. This post was written by Katie Bryan, America Saves Communications Director.

Tax time is one of the few opportunities when low-income households receive a sizable amount of money –