As we celebrate living in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, it occurred to me that being strapped with bad credit is the opposite of freedom. When you can’t enjoy life because you’ve got creditors hounding you to pay bills, that is not freedom. When you can’t get a decent interest rate on a car loan or decent insurance premiums because of a low credit score, that is not fun.

I urge you to take control of your credit and finances. No matter where you are today, you can make a plan for your future. It might not happen overnight, it might take some self-discipline, and some work — but that is what our legacy is all about.

Our forefathers and foremothers — all of them, not matter where they came from, whether rich or poor — wanted to be free. Let’s grab hold of that…