Most of what I've learned about money I didn't learn in books or by being a CPA, stock broker, or financial reporter. I learned it the hard way -- by making stupid decisions and missing opportunities.

How much does a single late payment affect your credit scores? Of course, as with so many things related to credit scores, the answer is, "It depends." But the irony is, the better your credit, the more you may feel the sting.

Maybe you'll someday need to borrow money to send your kids to college. All of those things take credit, and a good credit score can help you borrow more money for a longer period of time with a lower rate.

In all, 56 percent of people said they want to build their score but don't know how to do it. In fact, the majority also said that they hadn't taken the time to order a copy of their credit report or credit score at any point in the past 12 months.