Tips To Help Your Credit Score

September 25, 2009 · Print This Article

Everyone knows how important it is to have a good credit score. The higher the better is what you always hear, but what can you do to help keep your credit score up? You may know the basic strategies, but more goes into your credit score than you might think.

Some strategies that you use to eliminate your debt and help your credit may not be helping if you don’t do them the right way. Here are some tips to make sure that you keep a good credit rating.

Don’t Stop Using Your Credit Cards

This may sound counterintuitive. Most financial advice tells you to cut back on your credit card use as much as possible until you pay off all your debt and to be careful with credit card spending even after you do. While you should be careful when using credit cards, you do not want to stop using them altogether. This tactic does not do you any good.

Your credit score is not improved when you stop using your credit but when you use it well. When you stop using your credit cards completely then the only information that credit bureaus have is old information which may not be the greatest. You want to keep using your credit cards in a responsible way so that your most recent credit history shows how well you manage your finances and your credit specifically. Credit card companies have also been known to close inactive accounts which can hurt your credit score so this is another reason to keep using your credit cards.

Don’t Close Old Accounts

Old accounts, even if you rarely use them, are a good thing. Part of your credit score is based on how long your credit accounts have been open. If you close one then you can decrease the average length of time that your accounts have been open and your credit score along with it.

You want to keep these old accounts open. The best way to ensure that they stay open is to use them at least once every six months. This activity will help to show that you use it enough for the credit card company to keep the account open. As stated earlier, inactive accounts sometimes get closed.

Protect Your Credit Score

Aside from taking the necessary actions to get a good credit score, you also have to work to protect that score. You want to check your credit report regularly to look for erroneous information. If you do not check your credit report for mistakes then they are likely to just sit there and mess up your credit score. Remember to destroy anything with your personal information on it because identity theft can ruin your credit score too.

These tips to help your credit score detail what not to do and how to protect yourself from bad credit that is not your fault. You need to work to maintain your credit. Use your credit cards, keep old accounts open, and protect your credit so that your credit score will be maintained.

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Comments

26 Responses to “Tips To Help Your Credit Score”

  1. falckel kee on July 31st, 2010 10:23 pm

    For some reason seven years stick out in my mind.

  2. noritterfi on August 3rd, 2010 2:40 am

    Your credit score is definitely one of the first and most important things that a potential lender will look for when you apply for a mortgage loan or financing. Lending requirements these days have become narrower, and anybody who hopes for a loan approval would need a good credit rating in order to get through.

  3. anavigo on August 4th, 2010 1:14 pm

    Article by at 2010-08-04 15:50:00
    Categorized in Uncategorized,

  4. olberg foert on August 4th, 2010 5:26 pm

    This article will show you the way to start rebuilding your credit. You do not have to be a financial expert; you simply should know the right information and after that take action.

  5. ard on August 5th, 2010 1:01 am

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  6. fadz wilhelican on August 5th, 2010 5:02 am

    What can I do to improve my credit score?(post)…

  7. hirmgaer on August 8th, 2010 7:51 am

    On December 24,2006 at 8 o’clock in the morning, a young 14 year old boy by the name of Scott Jackson was found dead.Doctors couldn’t come up with the cause of his death.His mother checked his emails to see if she could figure out what happened.Turns out he was still signed into myspace.She found he had gone to sleep after he read and didn’t repost a chain letter.if you don’t repost this to 6 videos a girl with no face will kill you tonight. sorry don’t wanna di

  8. vin on August 9th, 2010 5:23 pm

    What do I do if my only credit card reports to just one credit reporting agency?

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  13. vandra on August 16th, 2010 4:14 pm

    Did you ever consider that maybe you ought to examine all three credit rating bureau credit rating scores? That thought has occurred to a whole lot of folks, some have even acted upon it. Most simply ponder over it briefly, then dismiss the idea, usually they do not understand how you can approach it, in other cases simply because it is just a large unknown, still others merely because they think they cannot do it.

  14. bugnold on August 20th, 2010 9:44 am

    Sometimes even well-off people can find themselves suffering a run of bad luck. There are many reasons they could find themselves unable to meet all of their financial obligations. There are also those who are surprised to find they cannot get credit when they need it. For them, it is usually because they have never needed it, before. Most credit issuers look at this just as if you have a bad credit score and consider you a risk. This certainly does not encourage them to help you with a single penny. Credit cards bad credit, however, could be just the solution you are seeking.

  15. pero on August 20th, 2010 7:11 pm

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    Categorized in Credit Repair,

  16. petroux motti on August 21st, 2010 8:38 pm

    Credit is something needing for almost everything that shop for, a house, car, land, or even just clothes and toys. The higher your credit score the more chances you have of qualifying for a loan, or getting a house. Unfortunately many people have had difficult times in the past that have caused them to have a low credit score. Do not worry there are things you can still do to improve your credit score.

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  18. mann on August 23rd, 2010 12:21 pm

    In such a difficult situation it is important to get some clear explanation how to handle it. THANKS A LOT!!!

  19. vasu on August 23rd, 2010 3:44 pm

    get your credit score!

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    Consumer Reports Money & Shopping Blog: Final stage of the Credit CARD Act takes effect via

  21. markwenton roll on August 25th, 2010 12:00 am

    It is calculated on a completely different scale, using different weights, factors, and criteria. The Experion score is generally 100-150 points HIGHER than your actual FICO score….that is due mostly to the Experian score having a higher ceiling.

  22. canoj darlens on August 25th, 2010 6:11 am

    Thanks.

  23. crayne on August 28th, 2010 11:54 pm

    Paying online you can make big mistakes,I know some who put an extra zero by mistake and hurt him good.

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    I used to live in that world. Well, AFN overseas only showed PSAs and military ads to cover the ad space of normal programming. I really really wanted a simple ad, Lucky Charms, anything.

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  26. escolynes laforman on September 1st, 2010 3:55 am

    clark howard has a really good site for credit advice

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