Hi all,
These are tips to help keep your credit together, or get it back on track. Do not fall into the mind set that you won't ever have good credit...most of us just don't know where to start. Hopefully this will help.
Payment History Tips
- Pay your bills on time. Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your score.
- If you have missed payments, get current and stay current. The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your score.
- Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your report for seven years.
- If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors or see a legitimate credit counselor. This won't improve your score immediately, but if you can begin to manage your credit and pay on time, your score will get better over time.
Amounts Owed Tips
- Keep balances low on credit cards and other "revolving credit". High outstanding debt can affect a score.
- Pay off debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.
- Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score.
- Don't open a number of new credit cards that you don't need, just to increase your available credit. This approach could backfire and actually lower score.
Length of Credit History Tips
- If you have been managing credit for a short time, don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your score if you don't have a lot of other credit information. Also, rapid account buildup can look risky if you are a new credit user.
New Credit Tips
- Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time. FICO scores distinguish between a search for a single loan and a search for many new credit lines, in part by the length of time over which inquires occur.
- Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems. Opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time will raise your score in the long term.
- Note that it's OK to request and check your own credit report. This won't affect your score, as long as your order your credit report directly from the credit reporting agency or through an organization authorized to provide credit reports to consumers.
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