This is NPR's life kit and I'm Sarah Gonzalez.

Usually I'm with a different NPR podcast called Planet Money.

We're an economic show.

So we tell stories about like where credit cards came from,

or about the two brothers who basically created the credit score.

It was in Brooklyn, New York, in 1874.

And today I'm here with Life Kit to talk a little bit more about credit scores.

We dig into some practical tips when it comes to our own financial situations.

Because our credit scores, they're not just something that tells lenders how reliable we are.

It's a game.

You actually don't have to be as disciplined with credit.

You just have to know the rules of the game and play within them.

So when someone says, I'm good at everything else, but my credit is a hot mess.

I'm like, whohoo, that's excellent because that's the one that you actually don't have to be

Michael Jordan.

That is Tiffany Alice, better known as the budget Nista.

She teaches people how to be smart with their money.

And here's the thing about the game of credit.

The rules are not so easy to find.

Like you have probably heard conflicting ideas when it comes to your credit.

Like pay off your credit card in full every month.

And then no, don't pay off your credit card in full every month.

...