It seems like an odd concept: you spend most of your life paying off your mortgage so that you own your home. Then, when you retire, you can do the exact opposite - take a reverse mortgage and have the bank pay you instead.

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Do you even know your credit score? It’s a very important number. If your score is just two points below the most desirable scores of 700 or better, it can cost you thousands of dollars in interest on a home mortgage.

Your credit score is the number one tool that lenders use to determine the interest rates you’ll pay for credit cards, car loans and home mortgages. Consumers with scores below 600 are typically charged high interest rates, and if your credit score is really bad, you may be not be able to borrow at all.

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credit: Phillip

It’s a bit scary, sometimes: you’re just cruising through life, perhaps spending more than you’re earning, or at least now and again getting a car loan or putting some emergency costs on your credit card, and suddenly - you’re in debt.

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