Six strategies are presented to help improve a poor credit score: 1) Always make payments on time; 2) Only spend what can be repaid each month and pay balances in full; 3) Gradually reduce balances by paying more than minimums; 4) Use less than 30% of available credit; 5) Decline new credit card offers which can negatively impact scores; 6) Check credit reports for errors and dispute inaccuracies. Maintaining old credit accounts also helps credit history.

1. Simple Strategies
to Improve your
Credit Score

2. Struggling with bad credit?
Let’s take a look at six common
sense strategies that can help
turn your credit score around.

3. Always make your payments
on time.

4. Better yet, only spend what
you can expect to pay back
at bill time, and pay off the
balance every month.

5. Reduce your balances, little
by little.
$20
$20
$50

6. When it comes to reducing
your overall debt, even throwing
in an extra $20 or $50 a month
will help. Plus, paying more than
the minimum payment looks
good on your credit report.
$20
$20
$50

7. Don’t run up the
entire balance.
$10,000

8. Just because you have a
credit card with a $10,000 line
of credit doesn’t mean you
should use it all. For optimal
marks on your credit report,
it’s best to use 30 % or less of
your available credit.
$10,000

9. Just say “No” to new
credit card offers.
CREDIT CARD
000 000 000 000
LOW APR
NO PAYMENTS
PRE
QUALIFIED

10. Numerous inquiries for new
credit can negatively affect
your credit score. So just
say “No” to new credit card
offers — especially if you’re
actively looking for a new
home.
CREDIT CARD
000 000 000 000
LOW APR
NO PAYMENTS
PRE
QUALIFIED

11. Check your credit report.
CREDIT SCORE

12. Unfortunately, errors can
show up on your credit report
— and they can stay there for
years if not disputed. Be sure
to check your report and put
the wheels in motion to clean
up any errors.
CREDIT SCORE

13. Don’t close all your accounts.

14. The length of your credit history
is factored into your credit score.
Keep old accounts open that
have a long history of on-time
payments, even if you don’t use
them anymore.

15. Want to learn more?
Check out zillow.com/mortgage-learning/