subject: Keeping Your Credit Score High [print this page] If you are trying to buy a house or a car, you will quickly learn whether your credit score is good or bad. If it is a low credit score you may qualify for that loan, but the interest rates they charge you won't be saving you much money.
From this time forward, you have to instill in your mind that you can never put off a credit payment ever again. Paying on time will certainly increase your credit rating. Make this a long term agreement to yourself. Now in order to do this, you should only purchase items that are essential and that you know you can pay off at the end of the month. This requires that you spend only what you have in your account.
Another thing you can do is to get a copy of your credit rating from multiple credit agencies. Check for discrepancies that need immediate correction. It is a good idea to keep all your receipts from your past purchases so this process will be easier. Identity theft is a big problem today so report all incorrect data that you may find in your credit report.
Look into your credit card debt. Look into each item and find a way to reduce these items each month. The lower your debt, the less you have to pay during the end of the month. Here is a good tip, if you have a lot of credit cards, make sure that you don't use more than fifty percent of your credit limit. This will help your credit score remain high.
Start paying off your credit cards. From your list of debts, take a look at the ones that have the highest interest rates and then pay them off first. You would like to get the high interest rates out of the way first to save yourself some money.
If you have extra money to spare, try to make extra payments on your credit cards and your other loans such as student loans and auto loans for this will make a big impact in your credit rating in the end. This shows that you are willing to lessen your debt and you are capable of paying off more than the minimum required amount.
For your credit cards with high interest rate, talk to a bank representative and ask them if they can lower it. Some will be reluctant to do so but others are willing enough to give you a break. With the proper discipline and state of mind, you can improve your credit rating in a span of six short months.
Monitor your credit ratings so that you can learn what triggers poor credit scores. Making late credit card payments or making no payments at all can ruin your credit.
When you have lived in one place for a long time, that helps your credit score. Keeping your credit score high isn't difficult, it just requires paying attention to making your payments on time.