Your Weekend Reads — The Financial Edition

I'm happy to have made it through this slog of a week. Anyone else feel this way? This weekend, I plan on doing my volunteer work, start a new quilt and finish listening to “The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed and Happiness” by Morgan Housel, one of the 12 best investing books for beginners recommended by my Bankrate colleague Brian Baker, CFA . Here are my favorite Bankrate stories of the week. Enjoy!

1. I'm a sucker for financial success, which is why I started the week with Hanna Horvath, CFP? 's story "How I built a six-figure net worth on a five-figure salary." Learn the strategies and habits she used to help her grow her net worth to more than $100,000 by age 26 — despite starting with a salary of just $50,000. (https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/how-i-built-a-six-figure-net-worth-on-a-five-figure-salary/)
2. I have shared my personal story on being in and out of debt (I'm out of debt and am doing well). When I learned that people were putting their high credit scores on their dating profiles, I was intrigued. Then two surveys found that it could be harder to date if you have a bad credit score, so I had to write this story. I felt strongly (and said this in five media interviews about my story) that just because a person has bad credit doesn't mean they are bad people. (https://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/advice/dating-with-bad-credit/)
3. Speaking of bad credit, Bankrate contributor Peter G. Miller shared that the dream to own a home isn't out of reach if your credit score isn't perfect. You can get a mortgage with credit scores as low as 620, 580 or even 500, depending on the type of loan, he writes. (https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/get-a-mortgage-with-bad-credit/)
4. I worked at The Points Guy from May 2019 through August 2022 as credit cards editor. I loved my co-workers and learned a lot about how to play the points-and-miles game. Since not everyone has this expertise on speed dial, I'm sharing Hanneh Bareham, CFEI? 's helpful beginners guide to credit card points. (https://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/rewards/how-do-credit-card-points-work/)
5. My late grandfather spent 30 years as a U.S. Air Force officer. After he retired, he became a bank manager and taught me a lot about money. Bankrate's lead data reporter Alex Gailey wrote a fascinating story on how those who were raised with a strong financial education were more likely to implement healthy financial habits as adults. (https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/financial-habits-survey/)