9 Tips for Improving Your Credit Score

Below are 9 Tips to Help Improve your Credit Score.

1) Review your current credit report or accuracy. Everyone is entitled to one free credit report a year. You should get one from each credit bureau - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Check to make sure that the information (Name, Social Security Number & Address) are correct. It's very common for your credit reports to have mistakes and incorrect information. At minimum make sure the information you are being evaluated on is correct.

2) Repair credit report mistakes. If you find something on your credit report that is incorrect or missing you should dispute the mistake by contacting the credit bureaus. Each bureau has their own dispute procedures on their website. They are required by law to investigate it and have a response within 30 days.

3) Pay your bills on time. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Payment history accounts for roughly 35% of yoru credit score.

4) Increase the length of your credit history. This accounts for about 15% of your score. Don't cancel old cards or open a lot of new ones in a short time span.

5) keep credit card balances low. It's a good idea to keep the balances below 25% of your available credit. This account for roughly 30% of your score.

6) Keep new credit requests to a minimum. This accounts for 10% of your score. If you are trying to get a loan don't apply for credit cards first.

7) Beware that paying off collection accounts will NOT remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your credit for 7 years.

8) Pay off your debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your credit scores is to pay down your debt. in fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.

9) Beware of credit-repair scams. By all means, don't pay someone to wipe away the negative items in your file. If they don't follow through, the damaging items will reappear in two or three months.