Multi-factor authentication asks for more than a password. After you enter it, you also confirm something you have, such as a code from an app on your phone, or something you are, such as a fingerprint. Both must pass before you get in.
It matters because passwords are routinely guessed, reused or stolen. With a second check, a stolen password alone is not enough to open the account. For anything holding customer or financial records, MFA is one of the simplest and most effective protections, and well worth switching on for everyone, including the owner.