Honest Credit Guidance From Someone Who’s Been There
I’m Thomas. In 2023, my credit score was 530. I was freshly divorced, staring at $40,000 in debt, and trying to figure out how to financially survive as a single parent of a special needs son.
I searched for help online and found two kinds of advice: generic articles written by people who’d never missed a payment in their lives, and companies trying to sell me something. Neither helped.
So I figured it out myself. I disputed errors on my credit report. I got a secured card and used it to rebuild my payment history. I found $600 a month I was wasting on subscriptions and fast food and redirected it to debt payoff. I set up an ABLE account and a special needs trust to protect my son’s future.
This site is everything I learned along the way — written for people who are in it, not people who study it.
Where to Start
Credit Repair
How I rebuilt from a 530 credit score — disputes, secured cards, and the timeline nobody tells you about.
Credit Cards
The cards that actually help when your credit is trashed. No premium card reviews — just what works from the bottom up.
Personal Loans
How I used a consolidation loan to stop paying 24% interest and actually make progress on $40,000 in debt.
Special Needs Planning
Financial planning when your child will need lifelong support. ABLE accounts, special needs trusts, and the stuff nobody else writes about.
Most Read
- Rebuilding My Credit After Divorce: From 530 to Standing on My Own
- Financial Planning for My Special Needs Son: What Nobody Tells You
- How I Broke My Spending Habits: $600 a Month I’ll Never Waste Again
- How I’m Paying Off $40,000 in Debt — With the Actual Numbers
- Credit Scores Explained: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Matter
Why This Site Exists
Most finance sites are built by media companies. They publish thousands of articles written by staff writers, optimized for search engines, and designed to sell you financial products.
This site is built by one person. I write about what I’ve actually experienced — rebuilding credit after a divorce, paying off real debt with real numbers, and navigating the financial system as the parent of a son with profound autism. My son is 21. He can’t read, can’t manage money, and will need support for the rest of his life. Every financial decision I make is shaped by that reality.
If you’re looking for polished corporate content, this isn’t the place. If you’re looking for someone who’s been in the mud and can tell you what actually works — welcome.