Credit scores are important at any age. For folks entering or already in retirement, living on fixed income creates changes in their spending patterns, needs and even spending power, making debt elimination a common priority for this demographic. Credit scores can impact auto and home insurance access and pricing, are taken into consideration by utility companies and can factor into access to senior housing – which makes keeping an eye on your credit score important even after retiring from the labor market.

Jeff Richardson, SVP of Marketing and Communications at VantageScore, spoke with Nerdwallet to explain how retirees can continue to maintain healthy credit practices while on fixed income. “If you continue to have credit activity and a good credit score, you’re in the driver’s seat,” Richardson says.

Read Nerdwallet’s story here: Don’t Let Your Credit Scores Retire