The last year has been devastating for people who lost their jobs or whose wages were cut, and a windfall for those with secure jobs or whose investments performed well. The government offered relief to people who held certain kinds of debt — like mortgage and student loan forbearance — but not others. The unequal impact of the pandemic and the uneven financial protections legislators passed in response have dramatically helped some financially and hurt others, including their credit scores. A person’s credit history not only affects their ability to borrow money but also can influence whether they get approved for necessities like rental housing or cellphone plans.
If your credit score has dramatically decreased or increased during the pandemic, we’d like to hear what that has meant for you. Please fill out this form; we may contact you to be featured in a future BuzzFeed News story.