In the unlikely event you find yourself between jobs, recovering from a financial emergency, or I don't know, maybe caught in a government shutdown and unsure when you'll get paid again, here are 3 tips to protect your credit score:

1.  Call all of your creditors who report to the bureaus and ask them to defer payments or negotiate partial payments until you get back on your feet.  Most problems start from a lack of communication.  The reality, however, is that most of them are willing to work with you if you give them the chance.

2.  If you have to go late on anything, go late on a utility bill, cell phone bill, or anything else that doesn't use credit for reporting.  Yes, you'll probably have to pay a late fee, but it won't demolish your credit in the process.  The big 3 to never EVER go late on are home and auto loans and credit cards.

3.  Work out payment plans with creditors once your paychecks start rolling in again.  I won't sugar coat anything here- it's tough to recover from a setback.  You'll have to tighten up your belt for a little while and make some sacrifices, but it is possible to recover quickly if you take proactive measures.