Good credit is important. Bad credit can make it difficult—or more expensive—to get a loan or credit card, rent an apartment, or get cell phone service. Surveys show few people truly understand how the system works: What makes their credit scores go up, and what causes them to plunge. In this episode we’ll demystify the process, and

We all spend money on stuff we don’t need, from top-of-the-line appliances with features we’ll never use to designer clothing we’ll rarely wear. But there’s a big difference between splurging on luxuries and throwing away money on products and services that are worthless or unnecessary—or that you could get for free. Here are some of them and