On Credit Scores

(Editor's note:  I am, once again, flying back to The Ranch for the weekend to attend to things.  Responses may be delayed, for which I beg your indulgence.)

Last December when we were visiting my in-laws, the question of credit scores came up with my nephews and sister in law, who were chatting away and comparing them.  They asked me what I thought mine was.

I literally had no idea.

To my mind, my credit score only mattered if I was borrowing money.  And since I did not intend to purchase a house or buy a new car or open another credit card, I never really kept up with.  If I needed to know, I was pretty sure that The Ravishing Mrs. TB would let me know.

Cue about two months ago when, due to a major information hack and breach, a rather large number of Americans were faced with the potential of credit theft.  The recommendation?  Sign up with each credit reporting service and put a freeze on your account.  Which, as this was endorsed by The Ravishing Mrs. TB, was duly performed.

The great thing about "signing up" is that now I get almost daily e-mail updates telling me whether or not my credit score is rising or declining:  "Congratulations, your credit score has gone up by 9 points!" or "Your credit score has declined by 22 points."

Looking at my credit score (which, apparently, is "Excellent"), I both have no idea what this means and am aggravated.

I suppose my fundamental problem is that credit scores indicate credit worthiness - which 90% relate directly to the ability to borrow money (the other 10% being rental application - which I have come to know) and certain job applications.  The fact that, at least from where I sit today I have no interest and no need to borrow (so far as I am aware) does not enter into this calculation.

I would bet, were I to think about it more, that likely people with "lower" credit scores are the individuals more likely to borrow and people with "higher" credit scores are less likely to.  It would be wrong to draw many conclusions from that - life happens and all - but I do not wonder that there is likely a correspondence between people that handle their money better and a higher credit score.

On the one hand, I suppose I could just unsubscribe to those e-mails.  On the other, I might miss out on breathlessly awaiting my next "Credit Score Update".