Missy Nolan is a single mom who started writing back in 2002 as a pregnant teen. She won the "What Matters" essay contest hosted by Teen Ink and never looked back. Initially, she used her freelance writing to supplement her wages as a chiropractic assistant, but it quickly took over as her primary source of income. With her three kids, writing gives her the flexibility she needs to maintain some balance in her life.   Missy started financial writing years ago when she did some ghostwriting for an angel investor. It was in this role that she started to learn about the world of money and ventured out to write for Mint.com along with some other financial websites.  But her life took an unexpected turn when she found herself filing for pro se bankruptcy. Bouncing back from that experience has given her a passion for giving people the tools they need in order to achieve financial stability. She knows that a low credit score can keep you from owning a home, a vehicle, and other life necessities, including many jobs.