I was embarrassed each time we had to make a major purchase or provide financial information At that point I had to come clean and tell him about my bad credit and what that would mean for us going forward.
We dated for a year and eventually decided to move in together. We met at the hospital where I was working and where he was finishing up his postgraduate studies. I accepted that I'd have terrible, no good, really bad credit for as long as it took me to pay off my debt.Īround this time I started dating my future husband. I opted for a debt-repayment program that's one step before declaring bankruptcy. I needed help and went to a local credit-counseling office to discuss my options. I rarely paid more than the minimum payment on my credit card or the interest on the student loans.Īfter a few years and more than a few missed payments, the calls from creditors started. When the time came to get a real job and start paying it all back, I struggled to keep up with the payments. I graduated from university with a bachelor's degree, $40,000 in student-loan and credit-card debt, and zero money-management skills. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.