How Playing Nice Can Drop Your Credit Score
Did you know that agreeable people tend to have lower credit scores? You know the type: people who can’t say “NO” to those in need and will more readily say yes when people attempt to convince them.
This is because agreeable people tend to be more willing to co-sign bad bets and cave in to pressure from salespeople – like opening a new credit card upon the insistence of a convincing sales clerk.
On the other hand, less disagreeable people will be more likely to just up and say “no” when needed. This makes “jerks” less likely to be duped by people trying to take advantage of them.
When you look at the whole picture, though, being nice isn’t the root of the problem – it is pleasing people that makes it difficult to pull off a smart decision.
Think about it for a second. Can you really be considered “bad” or “evil” when you refuse to co-sign a loan from someone you know will not pay up? You can even politely refuse (repeatedly even) when a pushy salesman is trying to sell you something.
The danger here is when credit agencies actually believe that all nice people are financially irresponsible. There are still some of us who prefer to play nice but know how to say “NO” when needed.