In the 1980s, one of the hottest buzzword terms was upward mobility, which loosely referred to a group of practices that could enhance a person’s lifetime earnings and financial stability. The term died out, but in the 2020s, millions of working adults are still striving to boost their fiscal well-being, no matter what they call the practice. The top tactics include purchasing a house, increasing personal credit scores, and assembling a top-notch resume. Here are the pertinent details.

Buy a House

Sometime after graduating college and landing a first career-oriented job, upwardly mobile adults aim to purchase their first home. Don’t make the mistake of assuming you need to be married or planning a family to aim for home ownership. Being a property owner means long-term financial stability and never having to pay rent. Work with a licensed, experienced realtor to finance your dream home and navigate the process.

Work on Your Credit Score

The most direct and effective way to become upwardly mobile in today’s volatile economy is to build a solid credit score. What does it take to get results? First, it’s important for people to realize how important it is to have a decent score. Nearly every major financial event in life is connected to a three-digit number issued by the three large reporting bureaus. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion hold billions of data files used by lenders who make decisions about whether to approve or deny loan applications.

Whether you’re trying to buy a new car, purchase a first home, get money for college, or finance a vacation, having a good credit rating can be the deal-breaker. Nearly every lender uses data from one or more of the bureaus to make their decisions about approval, interest rates, terms, and other loan conditions. In many places, it’s nearly impossible to rent a car without having a decent score.

Those who have low scores, or no history whatsoever should get to work as quickly as possible. The good news is that there are several effective techniques for increasing your ratings with all three bureaus. It’s important to be willing to invest time and resources to raise personal credit scores by paying bills on time, keeping card balances low, and working with an expert who can help you every step of the way.

Craft a Powerful Resume

Every successful person has an updated resume at the ready. It’s been created by a professional writer, contains zero errors, and shows off your most marketable talents. When hiring agents see it, they want to interview you. What does it take to get a document that is that potent? For less than $150, you can hire a resume writer who specializes in tailoring excellent documents for people in your industry.

Take the time to find someone who not only knows your career field but has at least a decade of experience as a full-time, certified resume professional. Don’t waste your time or energy trying to go the DIY (do it yourself) route. Never hire a friend or coworker who is good with resumes. They might mean well, but you’re much better off investing in the services of an expert.