Kiplinger has five surprising ways that a bad credit score can harm you, including one that I hadn’t thought of before (and that your high schoolers might really care about!)….

• Higher insurance premiums
• Utility company deposits
• Almost 1/2 of companies review scores as part of hiring process
• Landlords might say no
• And the one I hadn’t considered…you might get turned down for a cell phone if you are getting a phone with a service contract!

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.