New Credit Tips
Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time.
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.
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 Tips
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.
Improve Your Credit Score:
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - You may be out of school, but that doesn't mean you're free from report cards. In fact, if you want to buy a house, a car or any other big-ticket item, a lender will look up your "grade" as soon as you come knocking. That grade is your credit score.
Generally speaking, a credit score measures the likelihood you'll repay what you owe, and it is based on information in your credit report.
The rewards of raising your score speak directly to your wallet: You'll qualify for more loans and be offered better interest rates.
There are many varieties of credit scores available to lenders. But the most widely used for large loans are FICO scores, which are based on a scoring system developed by Fair, Isaac & Co., and which are provided to lenders by the three national credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Consumers may now get their FICO score or a comparable version of it from each of the bureaus. It pays to review these scores at least three to six months before shopping for a loan so you'll have time to improve your standing before approaching a lender.
Following are things you can do to boost your creditworthiness.
Steps to Better Credit
Correct blatant mistakes. Your credit score is only as good as what shows up in your credit report. Review your reports from all three credit bureaus for accuracy once a year as well as several months before applying for a loan. Changing a mistake on your report - such as a payment that is wrongly labeled as late -- can take 30 days to three months, sometimes longer.
Pay your bills on time. This is always a good practice, and it's especially critical that you make prompt payments close to the time you need a loan. That's because a late or missed payment in the last few months is likely to lower your score much more than an isolated late payment five years ago.
Reduce your credit card balances. A heavily weighted factor in your FICO score is how much money you owe on your credit cards relative to your total credit limit. Generally, it's good to keep your balances at or below 25 percent of your credit card limit, said Jeanne Kelly, founder of The Kelly Group in Brookfield, Conn., which helps clients improve their credit scores.