Work out your credit to get financially fit this summer

(ARA) - Just as you take care of your physical health in preparation for summer fun, you need to pay attention to your financial well-being as well - and not just when the weather's warm, but all year round. And just as the key to losing weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn, financial health depends on your ability to earn and save more money than you spend.

No financial fitness plan would be complete without a credit checkup. Unwise use and poor understanding of credit contributed to the real estate crash and the overall poor health of the economy, many money experts say. A credit checkup can help you better understand your overall financial health.

Start by checking your credit score and report online. Think of a credit score as an indicator of your overall financial health. A good score tells potential lenders that you know how to manage money and are likely to be a good credit risk. A lower score may be a symptom of poor financial health. Web sites like freecreditscore.com provide valuable credit monitoring tools to help you assess your credit health and how your financial health habits affect your credit.

Just as medical errors can harm your health, so can errors on your credit report. That's why checking your report regularly for errors or possible fraud is as important as monitoring your blood pressure if you have hypertension, checking your blood sugar if you're diabetic or watching your weight - for anyone.