whether you use your credit or not yu do have a credit scaore and believe it or not your score can be LOW if you don’t use house paid for or not!

When I got divorced, I had to go buy some stuff and pay it back in order to get my own credit card and that’s when I got a credit score. Over the years I’ve paid bills on time and haven’t had any finance troubles. That was until I co-signed a credit card for my son when he had to buy a computer. He didn’t pay the monthly bills very often, and they started calling me because MY name was on it. This has gone off and on for two years, and now my formerly high credit score has dropped like a stone. It’s been a sore spot between us and still is. DON’T LEND MONEY OR YOUR CREDIT TO FAMILY MEMBERS. I’m still learning that one.

I don’t know what it is, but it must be great…..everyone wants to lend us money.

All I know about my credit score is that it’s bad and probably damned scary. Perfect for Hallowe’en…

Silly me—I used to think that to be a good American citizen you didn’t owe money, you paid cash for everything. Then, when I was 40, a travel agent berated me: “An independent woman needs good credit!” So I reluctantly got my first credit card. I found that you couldn’t rent a car, buy a car, or a home, without a credit history. It’s a weird system…you can’t get anywhere without having debt (and paying it off).

I too am a Californian, My house is paid for. My car is paid for. I charge everything on my credit card and pay it off at the end of the month. I get a refund at the end of the year. It’s very nice to get 3 or 4 hundred dollars back as a bonus. It’s difficult for people to get credit if they’ve never had any. I read once about an idea I thought was good. If you have teenage children (almost ready for college) You should get a credit card in their name a couple of years before they leave home (DO NOT GIVE IT TO THEM) nor even tell them you have it. Charge just enough to establish a credit rating. Always pay off monthly. Then when it’s time for them to get a credit card they will have no problems. CUT YOUR CARD IN TWO AND THROW AWAY After that they’re on their own.

It’s good, I don’t care though. Don’t borrow, only charge for the month, and life’s quiet for now.

I have a debit card, don’t use credit anymore. My score is low due to that. Had a card once cost me 200 a yr in fees and interest canceled it that’s why I know my score. I enjoy saving up for most purchases and our home was bought long ago so not really worried about it.

Teresa B, I mentioned that my score would be 0 or very low and for that I’m thankful. To have a credit score means you have credit. As I stated I’m a pay as you go gal. I was born in 1952, I’m Baptist, I do not live in California and I have NO DEBT. My husband and I live within our means and it is not hard to do. Our house is very nice but we are not prone to materialistic things. We take long walks at the lake, sit around the fire and drink coffee and eat dinner out and see a movie from time to time. It is a stress free simple way of life. I am not taking the superior stance here just stating that not everyone is in danger financially. My husband lost 15% of his 401k during the 3rd quarter. But because we are not stretched beyond our means we have not reacted negatively. We feel as though we have time to recover.

My credit score, like everything else, is upwardly mobile. But who can feel comfortable with a society structured on debt? You really can’t do business without it.