Conn. (WTNH) — April is Financial Literacy Month, which is all about freshening up your finances — and learning something that can help you move forward, like what really impacts your credit score.

“[Many] thought that income has an impact on your credit scores,” Credit Card Insider Nathan Grant said. “But it doesn’t. It does factor in when you apply for new credit — they look at your income and debt to income ratio.”

Credit Card Insider’s Grant said it’s important that you look at your credit report to ensure there are no errors — and know your score, so you know where you’re standing. That way, you can make improvements for any big purchases you’re planning.

He also said that this month is about making changes to secure your money. He said 57% of those recently surveyed have never made a payment with Apple or Google Pay.

“Mobile wallets and digital wallets carry even more security,” Grant said. “They use tokenization to create a one-time number for each transaction, so your actual card numbers aren’t even on the line when you pay with those methods. It’s not available everywhere, but most websites provide that as an option.”

And remember to strive for that healthy relationship with credit cards. Use them to reap the rewards, benefits, and conveniences, but be sure to pay them off in-full to avoid becoming tied to mounting interest.

Using credit is also a safety net — it offers protections your debit card does not.