Credit Confidence & Demystifying FICO with Keon Haley

Credit Confidence & Demystifying FICO with Keon Haley

Author: Next Gen Personal Finance January 13, 2026 Duration: 57:08

In this NGPF Speaker Series episode, Tim interviews Keon Haley of FICO to unpack how credit scores work and how to teach them effectively. Keon shares his personal journey from limited financial conversations at home to discovering financial education's impact while working at a college Small Business Development Center, a passion that now drives his work at FICO's consumer credit education initiatives. They explore the 5 components of a FICO Score: payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix. Keon dispels myths about checking credit, joint scores, and rate shopping. They also discuss how credit reports influence more than borrowing, affecting rentals, insurance, and jobs. The episode concludes with audience Q&A on topics like buy now, pay later reporting, aging mortgages, and medical debt, with Keon highlighting FICO's free Score A Better Future tools and classroom-ready resources.

 


Behind the mission of Next Gen Personal Finance-a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every U.S. high school student takes a personal finance class-is a vibrant community of educators constantly refining their craft. The NGPF Podcast sits at the heart of that conversation. It’s a space where teachers, curriculum specialists, and sometimes even students share their real-world experiences and challenges in bringing financial literacy to life. You’ll hear practical discussions about what actually works in the classroom, from innovative lesson plans to navigating tricky topics like investing, credit, and behavioral economics. The episodes, often born from the organization's deep investment in teacher professional development, feel less like formal lectures and more like insightful coffee-break chats with colleagues who are just as passionate about empowering the next generation. Tuning into this podcast offers a direct line to the strategies and stories that are shaping financially capable young adults, all grounded in the high-quality resources NGPF is known for. It’s an essential listen for anyone invested in the practical side of financial education, whether you're in a classroom or simply believe in the critical importance of these skills for the future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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