Hi friends. Thanks for downloading the Money Girl Podcast. I'm your host

Laura Adams. Life After College Life after college. It's like a breath of fresh air. No more cramming for exams,

rushing to make deadlines for assignments or eating really bad cafeteria food.

Now you can start living life on your terms, right?

Whether you've already landed your first job or are still searching for one. I bet your finances are

tight. Though you're just starting out how you handle money over the next few years

is incredibly important. If you learn the three fundamental rules of personal

finance now, applying them will set you up for a lifetime of financial success.

I'll show you how three different college graduates apply these three fundamental

personal finance rules to their lives and how it affects their future

financial security and happiness.

Rule number one, your credit tells a story. The first personal finance rule is that you will be judged by your credit.

Your credit file is like a financial rap sheet, but thankfully it reveals good financial

behavior as well as bad.

A high credit score tells the world that you've been

responsible with money and it entitles you to credit at the lowest possible

interest rates which can save you a bundle. On the other hand a low score means that you won't

qualify for credit and if you do it will be expensive money to borrow. By the

way bad credit can also trip up other areas of your financial life

because it affects the rates you're quoted for insurance, whether you can rent a

place to live, and how potential employers may evaluate you.

Let me introduce you to Carla, who's a new graduate with a great job in the medical field.

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