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The following is a list of people monitoring your credit.

• Creditors. You’ll get favorable mortgage or loan terms only if you cleaner reports and better scores.
• Employers. Credit-score use by employers is growing rapidly; up to 70% of all employers according to Warren. One driving factor is the declining use of references, which have become more vulnerable to libel suits and thus watered down to the point of worthlessness.
• Insurance companies. It’s widely known that insurance companies, especially auto insurers, use your score. Today, larger insurers are setting up special managed risk subsidiaries to take on preferred clients. With too low a score you may not qualify and pay hundreds more.
• Landlords. Renters of apartments or homes or even vacation homes may be checked not only for ability to pay but for overall dependability and character.
• Utilities. You’ll get your gas or electricity, but a lower score will force higher deposits.
• Cell-phone plans. The lowest-rate plans advertised just might not be available if your score doesn’t check out.