A universal feature of our modern, consumer-focused economy is a credit report. These pieces of information are detailed records about the spending habits of every consumer in the economy. Credit reports have become essential to many vital aspects of modern living. Landlords use credit reports to discriminate between potential tenants, just as employers use credit reports to sift through a pool of potential employees. A credit report contains a credit score and a consumer's credit history. The credit score is a numerical summation of all the listed entries in the consumer's credit history.
Credit scores are the one-stop shop for landlords, employers and insurance companies. Anyone who wants a good short-hand description of a certain person can simply check his past credit usage. Credit histories follow consumers around their entire lives. A single check credit can spell victory or disaster for a job applicant or a would-be renter submitting his application to a landlord. Consumers who are concerned about their credit histories can take steps to clean up their credit reports. Paying off old debts or disputing transactions, late payments or items that have lingered on past the statute of limitations are the best ways of cleaning up credit reports.
Someone's credit rating is a valuable akin to investments or jewelry. A credit rating is not used for borrowing anymore. It has become a staple of modern identity. A bad check credit is one of the worst things that can happen to a consumer today. Credit has become a survival necessity.