2013年ESL之日常生活 21 Having Bad Credit（在线收听）

Having Bad Credit 

Alisha: This is the second time I’ve been turned down for a credit card in a month. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. 

James: Have you checked your credit report recently? Maybe you have a bad credit rating. 

Alisha: I have a full-time job with a good income, which they can easily verify, and I don’t have any outstanding debt, so what could be the problem? 

James: Have you had a credit card before? 

Alisha: Yes. 

James: Did you always make your payments on time? 

Alisha: Well, no. 

James: Then that may be your answer. Your payment history makes a big difference with the credit bureau. If you’ve missed payments or been late, that’s a big strike against you. 

Alisha: You mean if I were late a few times, I wouldn’t be able to get another credit card? 

James: A few times? How many times? 

Alisha: Well, maybe a lot of times. 

James: And why do you need another credit card if you already have one? 

Alisha: Had one, past tense. The credit card company cancelled it. 

James: Ah ha, I think we’ve just found the crux of the problem. 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse