<prompt> Human: I hear alot of people say that they need to get credit cards in order to get a good credit score or to build up some credit. I also hear the same about people wanting to stay in a car loan in order to build up their credit. Maybe im missing something but why do we need a good credit score to begin with? In my late teensearly 20s I also had a car payment and a few credit cards but after the age of 23 I paid off my car and did away with credit cards and now I have no credit presumably. I pay cash for everything now and now my credit shows no historyI guess after 5 years of no payments, everything goes back to default mode? I also thought I would have trouble renting an apartment with presumably no credit history but all they did was base their decision on my current income.So please explain to me why one would be concerned about their credit score?  <response>: A good credit score means you can more easily get a mortgage, and can obtain several credit cards.Credit cards protect you from all kinds of fraud. Several credit cards protect you from being stranded when you travel.A good credit score makes it easier to get a bank account, rent a home, and increasingly, get a job.Still I think people on pf obsess way to much over credit scores. 