Four Smart Moves to Make Today

If you’re a woman and have been worried about finances lately, you’re not alone.

More than 60% of working women said they had to make changes due to a financial strain related to the pandemic, according to a 2021 survey by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.

Combine that with the fact that women are more likely to take time out of the workforce to shoulder caregiver responsibilities — plus that little matter of equal pay — and it’s clear why your personal money struggles as a woman may seem more daunting.

The fact is, taking care of your own financial house can end up on the bottom of multiple to-do lists. And the consequences become apparent at stressful times — if you’re about to have a child, you’re getting a divorce or you’re ready to retire.

But today is going to be different — we’re going to set our course and take control of our financial destiny. Here’s how to get started.

Women and Money: Four Smart Moves to Make Today

Regardless of your age, employment or relationship status, making time to prioritize your own finances is essential to your future. Here are four smart money moves you can make today.

1. Know Your Credit Score (or How to Get One)

Knowledge is power, right? So finding out your credit score can strengthen your ability to take control of your finances.

The score is an indicator to lenders of how good you are at managing money and repaying debt. If your score is low, you’ll pay higher interest rates and may have difficulty obtaining credit and loans.

Your credit score is based on credit bureau reports, so you should check yours for errors — you can get the reports for free at annualcreditreport.com. Ordinarily, you’re only entitled to one free report per year from each bureau, but due to the pandemic, you can receive a free credit report every week through April.

There are actually a few credit score modelsbut FICO is the most common. You can find out your FICO Score for free…