I always assumed credit scores were an integral and historic part of the American financial system.

They were not, they are very recent,most of your parents didn’t have credit scores growing up, and as you can probably tell or at least intuit, it’s mostly just a b******* scheme for those with capital to accrue more capital by invading your privacy.

  • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Tbf personal credit cards have only been around since a couple decades before that.

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
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      4 months ago

      But they primarily use credit scores to deny mortgages to people. Getting a CC with a bad credit score is very easy. The rates will just suck. And we’ve had mortgages, car loans and business loans a lot longer.

      • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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        4 months ago

        Just wait till you learn what they used to deny people mortgages before the invention of credit scores.

        • Neato@ttrpg.network
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          4 months ago

          I mean, they still use racism to do that. Now they also have credit scores to do so for poor people.

        • snooggums
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          4 months ago

          It was their eyeballs and racism!

          • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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            4 months ago

            Can you expand on the eyeballs part? I swear I remember something about that which I can’t remember and I’m getting nothing of use on Google

            • snooggums
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              4 months ago

              You used to go to the bank and they could see the color of your skin with their eyeballs.

              • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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                4 months ago

                Hmm I feel like I remember something about eye shape that was used for discrimination, probably related to frenology

    • spongebue@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Credit cards, but not credit. Home, auto, business, and other loans have existed long before that.