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(Or in any economy.)

You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not what you know – it’s who you know”, and to a certain extent I believe that’s the case. That’s not meant to be discouraging — you don’t have to know high-powered people in order to find a job.

But it does help immensely if you know someone (and all of us know people.)

It helps not because those someones can necessarily “get you a job”, but because the more people you know and ask regularly about potential job openings, the more likely you are to find out about the potential job openings in the first place. Don’t just ask them once either; ask at regular intervals so they don’t forget that you’re looking for a job.

Once you find out about an opening via someone you know, that person can (if appropriate) submit your name as a potential applicant. This gives you an advantage over someone just applying right off the street.

Which doesn’t mean that you should neglect applying off the street either. It takes some extra time, but it can pay to tailor your resume and cover letter specifically to the job you are applying to. Use the same keywords they do, and use details and action words when describing your experience and why you are a good fit for the job.

Most of us have at least a vague goal of reaching “financial security” at some stage of our lives. But what is financial security, exactly?

We have to know that before we can get there. In fact, defining it is part of the process of becoming financially secure.

Start by thinking about what a financially secure future would look like for you. What would that future include?

It might include things like:

• Having a paid-for house
• Having adequate insurance
• Having a well-funded emergency fund
• Being out of debt
• Having a steady income
• Being worry-free when it comes to money

Once you have things clearly defined, it’s easier to prioritize each aspect of financial security. You can then break them down further into the step-by-step actions you’ll need to become financially secure.

Big goals are most easily achievable when they’re taken in small, day-to-day steps.

If you’re in the U.S., you’re entitled to receive one free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies every year. To do so, go to www.annualcreditreport.com. That’s the official free site.

It’ll get you free access to your credit report, although you may have to say “no thanks” to various offers once you’re taken to the individual credit reporting agency sites. You can also get your report by calling 1-877-322-8228.

You can choose to get all 3 reports at once, or you can space them out across the year so that you’re always getting a report every few months. I do mine all at once, but that’s only because I don’t feel like spacing them out.

Your credit report will contain the following types of information:

• Identifying information like your name (including variations of your name — or if you have a long name like my legal first name, it’ll show a portion of your name), addresses, etc.
• Credit-related information such as loans and credit cards that you’ve taken out, their status, and your payment history (whether you’ve been late & how often), etc.
• Information gleaned from public records
• Recent inquiries (lists of places who have inquired about your credit-worthiness — there will probably be both “hard” and “soft” pulls listed here. Hard pulls count against you when determining your credit score, but soft pulls do not.)

Pulling your own credit report does not count against you in determining your credit score. Which reminds me, remember that your credit report is not the same as your credit score.

The credit reporting agencies will probably try to sell you a credit score of one type or another, but it’s your credit report that’s important to review for errors. Your credit report is basically a history of how you’ve used credit over a certain period of time — and that’s what will determine your credit score.

Why should you care about your credit report?

According to the Federal Reserve Bank, mistakes on credit reports can be common. It’s important to check and see exactly what’s being reported about you so that you can correct any mistakes. A review of your credit report could also alert you to identity theft — such as if someone else has taken out loans or credit cards in your name.

For more information about getting free access to your credit report (and what to do if you find an error), go to the FTC’s web site.