<prompt> Human: Ive been perusing this subreddit for a while now, and it seems like there are tons of posts by people trying hard to game their credit scores using terms like utilization ratio. Opening extra credit cards they dont need for seemingly no reason.Some people are making questionable financial decisions like not paying off loans with high interest rates in order to maintain good credit. Or theyre considering applying for a loan and paying it off immediately to have a credit history. Others are worrying about applying for cards because of hard pulls of their credit report.When I asked in one thread, someone told me that its possible for Americans to get denied rental apartments, mortgages, or even jobs based on bad or non-existent credit. Is this actually true? Can you be turned down for a job because you dont have any debt?Forgive my silly questions, but in Canada we dont have any of this. I mean, I know I have a credit report but I dont base my financial decisions around it, nor does anyone I know.Why is this so important in the States?  <response>: You can possibly get turned down for a job based on a bad credit history, but not really due to lack of it. Insurance rates and ability to get loan and mortgages can be greatly affected by the individual credit score as well. Some people are going a little overboard in trying to maximize their credit score, however not paying attention to it can cost you a lot of money in the long run. 