George Mannes

An AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteer enjoys helping people prepare tax returns and says filing IRS forms does not have to be confusing or difficult.

Are your daily spending and big purchase decisions are normal? Take this quiz to get a comparison with average Americans. An AARP Rewards activity.

In June 2022, I had a credit score of 826 — a number that FICO, the U.S. company that issues most of these scores, deemed “exceptional.” One year later, I had a score of 670 — a 156-point drop, putting me on the brink of “fair,” a euphemism for “think twice before you lend any money to this guy.” The trigger for this decline wasn’t poverty or irresponsibility, I’m happy to say. It was curiosity. A credit score is meant to tell lenders how likely you are to repay what you borrow. A score can have…