Credit scores are vital to modern personal finances, and some people try all sorts of strategies to try to beat the algorithm.

Silvio Tavares, CEO and president of VantageScore, wants to expand credit access with more and empirically accurate consumer data

A more inclusive credit scoring system could be achieved by adding things like rent and utility bills to the mix.

Some 45 million Americans are “credit invisible,” with no credit history reported to the major credit bureaus, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Credit score algorithms are a relatively new method of judging risk.

Credit scores reflect not just financial behavior, but discrimination within our economic system.

Consumers who don’t have enough of a credit history can suffer from having “thin” credit scores and profiles, which can negatively affect their chances of getting a loan, mortgage, credit card and more.

Credit scores can help determine where you live, your interest rates on loans and credit cards and even how much you pay for car insurance.