Watch that holiday shopping: more emphasis being placed on personal credit score

Quick, what's your credit score?

If you have no idea what range you fall into when it comes to your credit, you're not the only one. "It's a really important issue that affects Americans [but] they're not talking about it or thinking about it," says Dr. Karen Gross, president of Southern Vermont College in Bennington, Vt., and an internationally respected expert on consumer debt and consumer finance.

You may be surprised to learn that your ability to secure a loan isn't the only thing affected by your credit score, according to Gross. Increasingly, she says, "credit scores are now being used to determine employability and insurability."

So if you're looking for a job, employers are increasingly looking at your credit score to see whether they think you're worth employing. Same goes for insurers.

Is it fair? While some employers think someone with a poor credit score might be more likely to leave or to steal, Gross says statistics indicate the opposite.

"At present, there are no data that say you're a less good employee if your credit score is low," says Gross. "In fact, it suggests you might want the job and need the money it generates."

If you're worried about having to find a new job, Dr. Gross warns not to fall for the many credit card offers in the mail or in a store around the holidays. That early discount could hurt you later -- every time you apply for another card, your score drops.

"It may have a longer-term effect," says Gross. "It will increase your credit risk and possibly an employer would not hire you because your credit score could be lowered."