Credit scores, which represent how likely a person is to pay his or her bills, affects almost every aspect of an American's financial life. "Credit scores are based on past performance," said Aaron Klein, senior fellow in economic studies at The Brookings Institute. Forty-two percent of Americans said their credit scores prevented them from accessing financial products like credit cards or loans. "If the information is not on a credit report, it is systematically impossible for your credit score to be influenced by it," said John Ulzheimer, a longtime expert in the credit industry. Watch the video to find out more about how credit scores can help — and hurt — consumers.

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