this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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Unethical Life Pro Tips

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An Unethical Life Pro Tip (or ULPT) is a tip that improves your life in a meaningful way, perhaps at the expense of others and/or with questionable legality. Share your best tips you've picked up throughout your life, and learn from others!

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[–] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works 52 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

They don't check your credit? They checked my credit the last time I rented.

Also you don't need to photoshop when it's easier to edit the html.

[–] ManosTheHandsOfFate@lemmy.world 79 points 1 year ago (3 children)

You can have good credit and a low salary.

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I had 800 credit working fast food because l carried extremely little debt.

Twenty years later, my score is fighting to stay about 750 because I make 6 figures, a few credit cards with zero debt. Because they WANT me to hold onto debt to show my trustworthiness? Fuck that.

[–] stevehobbes@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Nah, there’s something else that’s triggering it. Average length of credit matters a lot, so if you cancel cards and get new ones frequently that would do it.

Long term debt for sure is good, carrying balances on cards is never rewarded.

The reason they’re OK extending credit when you have debt is because they can see you are managing it. Mortgage or auto loans (asset backed) aren’t bad. Don’t carry balances on cards ever if you can avoid it.

As another poster said, there’s probably no functional difference for you between 750 and 830.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, they do. You get extra points for holding a balance.

[–] Cryophilia@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

No you don't. Technically you get a small (~10 point) bonus for showing literally anything other than $0. But you get zero points for carrying that balance beyond the payoff date.

You should never ever ever pay interest on credit cards. It doesn't help you in any way.

[–] habanhero@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

Landlords also ask for pay stubs / proof of income.

[–] jivemasta@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

Yes, but also you don't get good credit by entering into contracts you can't afford. What I can and can't afford are my decision to make.

Just like you can have good credit and low income, you can have high income and be shit with money. It really doesn't prove anything by showing a pay stub.

[–] wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Credit doesn't show income. It is just a score with income not factored in.

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Experian offers a service called "theworknumber" that will sell you income data to anyone for $60.

You cant opt out because fuck american laws, but you can demand they "freeze" it like credit, so any inquiry is just rejected.

[–] wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That may solve who’s texting me if I’d like to sell a property. They keep asking me about properties i haven’t owned for years but I use to live at.

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At least you get texted about properties you once owned. I get texted about some dude's properties across the country even though this hasn't been his number for a good decade now

[–] wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

Haha it’s just weird to get a txt asking if I want to sell x property I haven’t owned for twenty years.

It has to be a credit report thing as my gf gets txt about the properties and she has never been on the loans or titles. The properties are always in my name.

[–] GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

This is where you can request a form to freeze this BS:

https://employees.theworknumber.com/employee-data-freeze

Notably it's not as easy as freezing your credit. Probably because there aren't as many laws around it.