Reply #13: No, credit scores were designed to measure credit worthiness. That's the problem here.

[Gormy Cuss]

They were not designed to determine who will be a good, honest employee nor were they designed to assess who makes a good insurance risk, yet they are routinely used for both purposes. If we had legislatures with any consumer bent both practices would be illegal unless and until solid research demonstrates that there is a strong correlation.

What's insidious about the creeping usage is that people who do swear off debt and live without credit will be at a disadvantage because the credit scoring models are based on review of one's history of handling credit. Without a history, there will be no score available. That leaves the potential employer or insurer without that indicator used to assess the person and chances are good that the absence of data will be viewed as higher risk.