Whenever I think about loans, credit checks or credit scores, I’m reminded of my close friend living in the US.  When I visited her there a few years back, she was surprised to see me bring cash any where I went.  She said that credit cards are the preference and that help increase one’s credit scores.  I explained to her that I don’t want to lose on currency exchange rate and so I prefer to spend cash than charge.  During travels, our credit cards are designated for use during emergencies only.