FICO credit scores were not introduced until 1989, meaning the rigid numerical system that determines your ability to buy a house, rent an apartment, or lease a car is actually younger than the cast of Friends.

A closer look

FICO credit scores were not introduced until 1989, meaning the rigid numerical system that determines your ability to buy a house, rent an apartment, or lease a car is actually younger than the cast of Friends. Before this standardized three-digit number dictated your entire financial existence, bank managers basically just looked at your face, asked around about your reputation, and decided if they liked your vibe before handing over a mortgage. Now, we have replaced that delightfully flawed system with a highly sophisticated algorithm that penalizes you for paying off your loans too early, punishes you for not having debt, and drops your score if you dare to check your score too many times. We are all essentially playing a high-stakes corporate video game where the rules are entirely made up, the points absolutely matter, and your permanent record is managed by three shadowy bureaus that routinely get hacked