I spent the weekend researching data removal methods and decided to start with my credit report. I’m not even going to get into all of the alarming privacy invasions that popped up during this process. But when I got to the experian report, I was met with T&C box that says I have to hand over my phone carrier info and it wouldn’t let me proceed without doing so. The bureaus are legally required to give you one free report a year. It’s bad enough that these companies are even given rights to my data and now they’re using it to request further information.
I’m just so angry, frustrated, and violated.
Don’t use credit.
You’re majorly handicapping yourself in the US if you don’t use credit at all- you’ll get your credit score checked for apartments, home loans, utilities, even some job application background checks-- and the only way to build your credit score is to participate in the system. That’s not even mentioning the fact that the financial system makes it extremely worth your while via points/cashback/bonuses/etc as well as the extra security you have from being able to put stuff on your credit card in a major emergency. It sucks and it shouldn’t be this way but it is.
Good luck with that in the US. Credit is like a shitty pay to win scheme that you’re required to play. Some jobs check your credit report and unless you have cash to buy a house you’d be fucked without credit.
Good luck with that.
That may be viable for some combinations of finances and lifestyle, but credit scores are used in interactions that don’t involve borrowing money. I’m inclined to believer they shouldn’t be, but I don’t make the rules.