1. Pay your bills on time. Creditors look closely at your credit history. If you pay your bills on time, this reflects well on you.
2. Manage your debt. Your debt/credit ratio, the percentage of your available credit that is being utilized, is another measure of your financial health. This counts for as much as 30% of your credit score!!
The best option is to keep your credit utilization under 30% of your available credit. Over 50% is already a problem .
So if you have a $5,000 limit -- and you want to buy a $4,000 furniture set -- split the purchase onto two cards, as creditors don't like to see a card almost maxed out; they look at you as a risk, someone who is using too much credit and has trouble paying off debt.
3. Check your credit report on a regular basis. The only way to protect your name and credit is to be proactive. With the rise of identity theft cases, it is important to review your credit files, and to report any inaccuracies to the major credit reporting agencies.
4. Don't close those old credit lines. The age of your accounts also impact your score, so as long as it's still on your credit report its giving you age!
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