You may know Akbar Gbajabiamila as a host on the NBC hit show “American Ninja Warrior” or from his days as a pro football player. But you may not know that he also has a passion for educating others about managing their money, especially our youth.
“So, just the basic levels of teaching them about finances I think allows them to grow so that their credit score will be better than their parents' and so on and so forth,” Gbajabiamila said.
Now, the star has partnered with Experian to help everyone come up with a game plan for financial success during the pandemic. That game plan has four steps.
“The first thing you want to do is ... if you're going to miss a payment, be sure and contact your lenders as soon as possible," Gbajabiamila said. “Because remember, it's important to be proactive rather than reactive.”
Gbajabiamila says the second thing to do is utilize Experian Boost.
“You can self report the bills that you're paying on time like your Netflix bill … your utilities, the Wi-Fi, the electricity, the gas ... you can self-report that and you can boost your credit score that way,” he said.
The third step is paying down your debt. If your credit is in good standing you might want to take advantage of a zero percent balance transfer or some sort of introductory offer.
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“The fourth part is you want to make sure that you are checking your credit report,” Gbajabiamila said. “You can make sure that your credit is in good standing, that there is no fraudulent activity going on because there will be people try to take advantage of your credit.”
All three credit reporting bureaus are allowing you to check your credit report for free once a week through May 2021.
