Basics to building & maintaining good credit

Payment history tips

Pay your bills on time. Delinquent payments and collections can have a major 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.

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 & actually lower your 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. Rapid account buildup can also 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 inquiries 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.

Types of credit use tips

Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed. Don’t open accounts just to have a better credit mix as it probably won’t raise your score. Have credit cards but manage them responsibly. In general, having credit cards and installment loans will raise your score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit responsibly. Note that closing an account doesn’t make it go away. A closed account will still show up on your credit report, and may be considered by the score.