Bottom line, I want to know, as close as possible, what it is that lenders and vendors see...otherwise they have a distinct and UNFAIR ADVANTANGE. When you get a mortgage, lenders have guidelines as to what credit scores qualify you for which interest rates...and if you don't know the credit scores the lenders are seeing, how can you contest the rate they offer if they choose not to follow their own guidelines and OVERCHARGE you?
This is ALL about being responsible consumers. We don't need credit scores of any kind to know that we're paying our bills on time or how much our credit lines are and how much we are or are not utilizing them. We DO however, need to know what our FICO scores are to know when we, as consumers, are being treated fairly or, more importantly, are NOT.
Particularly in this time when people have been faced with more and more challenges financially, keeping an eye on the movement of your credit scores gives you some layer of protection...you have at least SOME idea where you stand in the marketplace. You may have some sense of whether you are moving forward or backward, but having a sense of "how much" can be very important. It can even impact your ability to get a job, rent an apartment...a whole lot more than "buying" something.
