One of the monumental tasks I had to face after my financially devastating divorce was repairing and improving my credit score. Not that it was a number any one would have been proud of before the divorce, but it did manage to occasionally qualify us for things we definitely couldn't live without, like a 72? plasma television at 29% interest and a new hunting dog.

When you apply for credit and you are sitting there with your fingers crossed, hoping for a positive outcome, your credit score is not where it needs to be. I'm sure most folks probably realize this. What they may not be aware of however, is a low credit score is a huge risk factor for divorce.

In fact, it's probably one of the more reliable predictors of divorce available and one that I use regularly in my family counseling practice.

Most are taken aback when I ask them for their credit score and thank it has something to do with their ability to pay for my services. When I explain to them that it is a consideration I must make in evaluating and developing an effective strategy to try and save their marriage, most just sit there scratching their head.

Here's the thing about trying to help people. A lot of them will actually own up to the poor choices they have made throughout their marriage but will turn around and not tell the truth about their financial situation.

I would imagine this to be a pride thing, but financial difficulty is directly responsible for at least half of all failed marriages and I need to know where I stand in order to develop a plan to help these well meaning, financially strapped liars.

A credit report paints a pretty clear picture as to what is going on in a marriage and I can't understand why other counselors do not use it. Oh yeah, most counselors think they know everything!

Credit reports do not lie and credit scores are accurate indicators of the overall health of a marriage'It?s a simple as that.

Yes, yes, yes there a lot of miserable rich folks out there with wonderful credit and a lousy marriage. I'm telling you that financial difficulty is responsible for half of all failed marriages, not the whole lot. It's just one of the factors that I take into consideration.

Now, if I find that these good folks have a poor credit score, we immediately lay out a plan to improve upon it. NOT so they can get into further debt but so they can get a lower interest consolidation loan and began to eat things other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches again.

I would urge anyone with a questionable credit score to do the same. Unfortunately, I can do little to increase a couple's income other than waive my counseling fee?uhh, did I just say that out loud?

Good, I didn't think so. Anyway, as I was saying, little can be done to increase a client's income, but we can certainly get control of spending. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you can get on consolidation loans and mortgage refinance, and thus a recognized decrease in spending is achieved and there's more money for everyone.

My unorthodox methods of counseling, including asking for people's credit scores, are what make me so successful as a marriage counselor.

Another unique aspect of my counseling is the fact that I base it on biblical truths and principles. The U.S. government frowns on the religion this country was founded upon and would never support such a concept, so I'm seen as a bit of a snake oil salesman, but lucky for me, the government cannot regulate me and I can actually help people unlike other licensed therapist with their arms tied behind their backs by bureaucratic red tap.

If you are in a troubled marriage and want to do something that can have a positive and lasting impact, improve your credit score. You can download my 66 page credit repair book absolutely free at my website. This is the same book countless couples, as well as myself, used to improve their credit score and their marriages.