What is a credit score?

Bridget Bodnar (0:00)

Okay, Gail, Olivia, who is ready to get this game night started?

Olivia (0:08)

These weekly board game nights with you two are my absolute faves. I really feel like I can be myself.

Gil (0:14)

Yeah. And who knew there'd be so many economic themed board games out there? We still haven't repeated a game yet.

Bridget Bodnar (0:20)

I wonder who it could be. Alexa, pause music.

Gil (0:23)

Pausing Bridget's weekday game night vibes.

Bridget Bodnar (0:26)

Everyone go home by 8 p.m. music playlist. Hang tight, guys. I'll be right back.

I'm coming. I'm coming.

Ryan Perez (0:37)

I'm here, Bridget.

Bridget Bodnar (0:39)

Hey, Ryan. What's up?

Ryan Perez (0:41)

I think I may have found a good question for our new episode. I can't wait for you to hear it.

Bridget Bodnar (0:47)

What episode?

Ryan Perez (0:49)

Bridget, did you forget? Tonight's supposed to be our big brainstorm. Hope you don't mind I brought Skimbleshanks, my cats that are bailed at the last minute.

Bridget Bodnar (0:59)

Me?

Forget? No, not at all. Of course, I remembered. Come in, come in.

Ryan Perez (1:07)

Whoa, what are these snacks you set out? Carrots with rice cakes and room temp tap water. Looks like you've got enough for a party.

Bridget Bodnar (1:17)

Oh, you know me, I need my snacks. Why don't you wait here while I go and grab my notebook.

Ryan Perez (1:26)

Okay.

Bridget Bodnar (1:28)

Olivia, Gil, we have an unexpected guest.

Gil (1:32)

Did I hear Ryan's voice? No offense, but he doesn't seem to have a very positive attitude about board games.

Olivia (1:39)

Wait, someone's staying for board game night? We have the board all set up for three players. We'd have to add another.

Can't handle this spontaneity. I think I'm just going to go.

Bridget Bodnar (1:49)

No, no, please stay. I can't believe I double booked after how much I get after Ryan for his own calendar disorganization.

Ryan Perez (1:56)

Bridget, I heard my name.

Lee Hawkins (1:58)

What?

Bridget Bodnar (1:59)

Hi, Ryan. You remember Gil, my bank teller friends and Olivia, my librarian friends?

Ryan Perez (2:07)

Yeah. What's going on here?

Bridget Bodnar (2:13)

Welcome to game night. Do you want to play?

Welcome back to Million Bazillion. I'm Bridget.

Ryan Perez (2:26)

And I'm Ryan, and we help dollars make more sense.

Olivia (2:30)

Don't forget us.

Bridget Bodnar (2:32)

Olivia, you're not working at the library right now, girl. You can talk in a normal volume.

Olivia (2:36)

Oh, hi. I'm Olivia.

Gil (2:38)

You even tied my liege. Tis I, Gill.

Ryan Perez (2:42)

Does Gill always wear that green bank teller visor?

Olivia (2:45)

Yep.

Bridget Bodnar (2:46)

Okay, so since I accidentally double booked, we are going to play a board game, and we're going to answer a listener question. It's going to be great. You guys don't mind, right?

Gil (2:55)

Uh, games should be for sure if it's Ryan's thing.

Ryan Perez (2:58)

Bridget, no offense. I'm not sure this is my thing. Board games are really more your kind of thing, and your board game friends are nice, but not really my vibe. I think maybe I'll just go.

Bridget Bodnar (3:11)

Oh, okay, yeah, no, I hear you. I am really sorry that you came all the way here, and you brought skimbleshanks, but we could reschedule. And actually, hey, before you leave, you said you had a good question picked out for the episode. What was it?

Ryan Perez (3:24)

All right, here goes.

Tula (3:26)

Hi, I'm Tula, and I'm 10 years old.

Tyler (3:28)

And I'm her dad, Tyler.

Tula (3:30)

And we live in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

One day we were riding in the car to school, and I heard you guys talking about credit scores. I didn't know what they were.

Tyler (3:38)

And what happened when mom and I tried to explain credit scores to you?

Tula (3:43)

Well, I didn't want to hear it from you. And since we were listening to Million Brazilian, I thought it would be a good question to ask Bridget and Ryan.

Tyler (3:52)

So Bridget and Ryan, could you please tell us?

Tula (3:55)

What is a credit score?

Bridget Bodnar (3:56)

Oh, well, Tula and Tyler, how could we refuse?

Ryan Perez (4:01)

Careful listeners of this show will remember we've talked about credit scores in the past on my very first episode, season three, episode one, What is a Credit Card? We'll add the link to the tip sheet and show page for this episode.

Bridget Bodnar (4:13)

One of the big things you learn when you start making your own money decisions is that you're graded on how you do it. Just like your report card shows the grades you're getting in school, your credit score is meant to show how good you are at things like using your credit card or borrowing money. It's a number that tells banks whether they can trust you to pay back what you owe.