@masscredit wrote:I posted this thread over 6 years ago and feel that nothing has changed. As much as I try to hold back, I still give advice when I see an oppertunity for someone to benefit from it. Sometimes they use it and sometimes they don't. A family member has been rebuilding after filing for BK a few years ago. I've guided her with suggestions and added her as an AU on one of my oldest cards. She doesn't want many cards but took my advice and applied for a new card. She finally has a big girl limit ($10K). Her other 3 cards have limits of less than $2K.
I'd say the one thing that irks me is when friends/relatives talk to me about their scores. I'll hear - "Hey, I checked my score. It's ____". Then I ask where they got the score from. I _always_ hear Credit Karma. It doesn't matter how many times I tell them that's not their real score. They still live by it. <facepalm>
VantageScore is a real score. Just not the one most commonly used.
The answer is yes and no. While I am finding what worked for me in the past is good I am learning a good amount from the thread and if asked I will share.
I think I would be remised to not say information about credit is just like information on any other subject. While it prove to be creditable and good it will always be subjective. You may know, you know something and your family and fiends know you know something because they watch as you are able to more financially free in this case. I chose to spoon feed this way I do not have much time invested. I treat family and friends just like I do with anything else. If they ask I give them just enough to wet there whistle and watch to see what there actions are. If they put it into practice I give them a little more and so on and so on.
This way I can see and gauge if through the wisdom we have gained on this subject will turn into knowledge for them and as they put it into practice it becomes wisdom to them. This helps them and sets them up to help someone else. If they do not put things into practice well they stop getting access to my time, attention and knowledge.
You know the old saying
Hope this helps or sheds some light.
The finance office is the dealer's profit center. The sales people there are trained to make you believe your world will end if you don't buy all the extra stuff. It boggles the mind but it seems to work with many people. I doubt your friend tried to do the opposite. Most likely got caught up in the sales pitch.
I go to that ofice with a cashier's check and say I want to do title work and get the key. Even then they try the baby step approach of pushing nitrogen fill for tires. No shame. 
@Save-n-Invest wrote:Even then they try the baby step approach of pushing nitrogen fill for tires. No shame.
I use a commonly available mix that's 78% nitrogen. They definately don't want to let you go out of the finance office without hearing pitches for extended warranties and other add-ons.
This about sums up how I feel...🤣😂
"Just don't ask me for money."
I try to give people credit advice all the time. They seem to not really believe that I could know anything about the 'mystical world of credit,' and mostly ignore me.
The most recent advice was just last month. I was trying to explain to a guy at work that he should upgrade his year-old Capital One Platinum to a Quicksilver. Even after explaining how easy it was, and the benefits of cash back, he didn't seem to think it was worth the "trouble." I honestly think he didn't actually believe it can be done. Oh well, I tried.
I've tried on several occasions to educate freinds and family (mostly family) on the importance of credit and most of the time, conversations are just passed off as small talk. There's hardly been any action taken after the conversation. It's a little frustrating, honestly, because they're aware of past credit struggles with being denied for credit, and renting opportunites, etc etc.
Starting FICO 8s | 06/2018: EX 601 ✦ EQ 605 ✦ TU 590
