Credit Tips

Payment History

• 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.

Amounts Owed

• Keep balances low on credit cards and other “revolving credit”.
  High outstanding debt can drastically affect a score.
• Pay off debt, don’t move 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 open a number of new credit cards that you don't need.
  New accounts will lower your average account age, which could actually lower your score by up to 10 points.

Length of Credit History

• 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

• Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time.
  Credit scores distinguish between a search for loans and too long of a period will suggest financial trouble, 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.
• Note that it's OK to request and check your own credit report.
  This won't affect your score, as long as you order your credit report directly from the credit reporting agency or through an organization authorized to provide credit reports to consumers.

Types of Credit Use

• Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed.
  Don't open accounts just to have a better credit mix - it probably won't raise your score.
• Have credit cards - but manage them responsibly.
  In general, having credit cards and installment loans (and paying timely payments) will raise your score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit cards 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.

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