Hi Reader,

A belated Happy Spotify Wrapped Day to you and yours. I hope it was filled with all of the magic of the season. Haha.

While you're still trying to figure out what on Earth those genres were that they suggested -- mine included "Pumpkin Spice Beach Indie," "Boujee Clean Rap Hip Hop" -- I wanted to share something that you might not have thought about.

You can use your Spotify account or any subscription payment to help you build your credit. It is a step that I recommend often for folks who are just getting started with credit, but it can really work for anyone.

Here's how it works...

• Open up a new credit card. (If you're new to credit, a secured credit card can be a great, low-risk option. Learn more about them here.)
• Use it to pay for your subscription to Spotify, Netflix or any other streaming service.
• Don't charge anything else to the card.
• Set up your checking account to automatically pay the cost of the subscription to your credit card each month.

That's basically it. Yes, you'll need to be sure that you don't make other purchases with the card. And yes, you'll need to check your checking account to make sure that there weren't any glitches that prevented the payment to your credit card. Beyond that, however, it is a pretty simple process...

Get a card.

Make one small purchase each month.

Pay that purchase off in full at the end of the month.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Do that and your credit score will grow.

Good credit is about proving to banks that you're likely to pay them back if they lend you money, but that takes time. It is like borrowing the car keys from your parents. They're going to be pretty reluctant the first few times, but once you've proven yourself trustworthy, everything changes. Moves like what I described above are a great first step in that process.

This is super-important because good credit can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest, fees and other costs over your lifetime. It can even help you get an apartment or a job. And the sooner you get started building, the better. It's a big deal.

(If you need a little more information on what exactly a credit score is, how it is calculated or how to improve yours, check out this easy-to-read post from LendingTree.)

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My book is on Spotify, too

Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, Chappell Roan... and me.

Not sure I made anyone's Spotify Wrapped list like those folks did, but you can find the audiobook for "Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How To Take Control Of Your Financial Life" on Spotify.

I'm also on Audible and Audiobooks.com, too.

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Media tour coming up

I'm heading to New York City next week for interviews and meetings. I'll be talking about my book, of course, but I'll also be talking about tips for smarter holiday shopping, personal finance moves to make in the new year.

​Follow me on Instagram for a look behind the scenes of my tour.

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Until next time!
Matt