Bankruptcy is by no means game over for your financial life — there are steps you can take to begin rebuilding your credit and eventually, your overall financial health.

There are many misconceptions about credit scores out there. Every time you apply for credit, apply for a job that requires you to handle money, or even apply for some apartment living, your credit score it checked.

Citi Free Credit Score will become the largest credit card issuer to provide free credit scores to their credit card customers. The bank will begin providing these scores on a monthly basis beginning in January 2015 and the scores will only be available online. Citi will provide the FICO credit score which is based on credit report information from Equifax.

It’s important to note that repairing bad credit takes time and there is no quick way to fix a credit score. In fact, out of all of the ways to improve a credit score, quick-fix efforts are the most likely to backfire, so beware of any advice that claims to improve your credit score fast.

Not being able to make the minimum payments on your monthly bills is a scary feeling but unfortunately, delinquency is a common phenomenon that has serious repercussions. If your credit card bill’s due date passes and you don’t make a payment, it’s natural to feel a little panicky. However, there are steps you can take to cope with the situation — emotionally and financially.