Who is looking at your credit scores - and why?

Strangers - all kinds of strangers - are regularly looking at your credit scores, accessing your history, and forming pictures of your life. All they need is your social security number - and that isn't hard to get any more.

Who are these people, and why do they want to know your private business?

· Credit card issuers - who may want to offer you a card, or may want to change the percentage rate on cards you currently hold

· Insurance companies - to determine if they want you for a customer, and if so, what kind of rates they'll offer you

· Cell phone, cable, and satellite companies - to decide if you can have their service

· Prospective employers - because now they do consider your credit rating

· Prospective landlords - to decide if you're a good risk as a tenant

· Car dealerships

· Furniture stores

· Department and office supply stores

· Mortgage Lenders

· ... and even prospective mates

Looking at your financial life gives people an impression of you, and of how you conduct your life in general. Of course, much of it is none of their business - but it's a fact.

A prospective employer looking at your credit report will see if you've been job-hopping or if you move from city to city with regularity. Why do they care? Because it costs time and money to train a new employee and they want people who will stay and work after they're trained.

They'll even know if you've changed spouses, because your credit report shows who shared responsibility for each debt.

As for prospective mates - it's very unromantic, but when you tie your financial life to another's, it's good to know if it will hurt you or help you.

Of course everyone who might extend credit to you wants to know if you're a good risk. That only makes sense. But what about insurance companies, cell phone and cable companies, and satellite providers?

Apparently insurance companies have decided that you're more likely to file a claim if your credit score is low. I don't know if that's true, or just an excuse to charge more.

Cell phone, cable, and satellite providers generally have money invested in getting you as a new customer - the "free" equipment and installation isn't free - they figure it into your first year or so of service, so they want to know that you can and will continue to pay your monthly fees.

Its never been more important to have a good credit score.