Today's guest, Rod, discusses smart ways to travel to major destinations without breaking the bank, the biggest money mistakes people make when traveling with friends, how groups or singles can split expenses fairly without tension, and some of the hidden costs that travelers often overlook when planning a holiday or winter trip home. He also shares how travelers can use credit wisely (like leveraging points or rewards) without getting into debt, how to balance travel goals with other financial priorities like saving, debt repayment, or improving your credit score, and what tools and resources Experian recommends for budgeting and tracking travel expenses.
Rod Griffin is senior director of consumer education and advocacy for Experian, where he manages the award-winning national consumer education and advocacy program in North America.
With more than 25 years of experience in the credit reporting and information services industry, he is an expert on consumer issues, particularly credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft.
Rod frequently appears in television, print, radio and online media and presents regularly at regional and national financial literacy events. He is an active advocate for financial education and financial inclusion.
Rod currently represents Experian on the JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy board of directors and previously served on the LifeSmarts Corporate Advisory Board, which he chaired in 2016.
In addition, he was named one of BadCredit.org’s 10 Most Influential Credit Score Experts for 2024.
In 2016, the Institute for Financial Literacy recognized Rod as its Educator of the Year. He is a co-author of “Credit Repair Kit for Dummies—5th edition” from Wylie Publishing.