Habits That Will Boost Your Credit Score
Blog posted On April 29, 2016
If you’re aiming to buy a home this year, chances are you’re taking a look at your credit score and wondering how to give it a boost. Check out these habits that could help improve your score.
Pay Bills on Time – One of the biggest behaviors that can cause your credit score to tank is not paying bills on time. By not paying bills on time, you are establishing yourself as risky borrower.
Refrain from Opening More Credit – Nearly every store these days offers a credit card with perks. Refrain from opening more credit cards than you need as this also increases your chances of lowering your credit score. Try to keep just a few credit cards open to help build your credit without hurting it.
Keep Credit Balances Low – In general, the rule of thumb is to keep your debt to less than 30% of your credit available. So if you have a $10,000 limit on a card, do not accrue more than $3,000 worth of debt.
Pay Off Debt – Pay off your debt on time by avoiding paying only the minimum amount due. It is too easy to fall into a trap of paying just the minimum amount due and therefore increasing your actual debt through interest fees. Also, if possible, make sure some of your payment is allocated for the principal amount to help lower overall balances.
Old Debt Can Be Good Debt – Don’t let student loan debt, car debt, or even mortgages scare you into thinking these will lower your credit score. In fact, often the opposite is true. Having an old debt that you can prove you have been consistently paying off over the years shows you have maintained good financial status and are repeatedly able to continue making payments. Your credit scores generally will increase with this behavior.
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