You probably know that lenders and credit card issuers want to look at your credit report. You might even know that car insurance companies are interested in your credit score, and negative items in your credit file can mean a higher insurance premium. However, you might be surprised at some of the others interested in looking at your credit report.
Potential Employers
More potential employers are interested in looking at your credit report. While they aren’t supposed to check your credit score, they can get a copy of your credit report with your permission. An employer may want to check your credit report if you are applying for a position of trust with money; credit problems might indicate that you are willing to embezzle to solve money woes. Similarly, some companies that deal with sensitive and proprietary information might want to peek at your credit report to make sure there is nothing in there that indicates that you might be susceptible to bribes.
Even if you don’t think that the position you are applying for is sensitive, some employers believe that your credit habits can provide insight into how you might perform on the job. It may not be fair, but your credit report is an increasingly popular indication of your general character.
Cell Phone and TV Service Providers
In some cases, your cell phone provider or TV service provider might be interested in checking your credit history. A service provider might look at your credit score, or check through your credit report. In some cases, if you have a very poor credit history, you might not be approved for a monthly plan for services. You may have to pay ahead of time, rather than paying after a month of services.
Landlords
Another group interested in your credit habits is landlords. Some landlords are becoming quite picky about tenant, requiring a credit check before approving move-ins. Some landlords don’t want to worry about whether or not they will have to be after you constantly to pay rent as you should – or worry about you skipping out. You might not be allowed to rent in an area that you prefer, or you may have to pay a larger security deposit to help protect the landlord from what you might do.
Bottom Line
Your credit report is increasingly becoming a way for others to assess what sort of financial risk you might present to service providers. Your credit habits can be an indicator of how you might deal with credit, or how responsible you might be with money, in the future. This means that your employer, landlord or cell phone service provider has an interest in knowing how likely you are to miss payments or be late with your obligations. It may not be fair, especially if you are trying to rebuild your credit, but that is the way matters are headed. As a result, it is vital that you improve your credit report by making on time payments and reducing your debt.
Pinyo is the owner of Moolanomy Personal Finance and has written for online publications, including American Express Currency and U.S. News Money. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
