Your credit maybe considered bad and causing a low score for a number of reasons. While the are numerous reasons for bad credit some of the more common ones are as follows. You have numerous credit cards that are maxed out or close to the credit limit, you have unpaid judgements or collection accounts, you have 30 day lates showing on your payment history. All of these examples can cause severe drops in your credit score.Paying down your credit card balances to around 30% will help your score. If you can, try to keep the balance at that level at all times. If you need to raise your score quickly, and don't have the money to pay down your balances, you may request that your creditors increase your credit limit. This will in turn lower your balance in comparison to the limit.
Only use this technique if you are responsible with your credit. Once your limit is increased, it may be tempting to go on a shopping spree. Know that if you do this, you will be in a much worse situation than when you started. Not only will you have more debt, but you will increase your ratio of balance to limit.
There are several ways to increase your credit. However the fundamental principle is the bills must be paid on time. This doesn't mean by the due date. For the sake of your credit a payment must NEVER be more then 30 days late. If you are acquiring 30 day lates on your credit then your credit standing will deteriorate quickly. Judgements also hurt your credit even if you pay them.
It is also important to note that a credit score is a snapshot. Although it shows your payment history, length of credit, etc. having inaccurate (negative) information removed from your credit bureau report will immediately reflect an increase in your score.
If you do decide to pay off some of your credit cards, be sure to leave the cards open. The credit bureaus look favorably upon accounts that have been open for a substantial period of time, especially if they are showing a zero balance.
Remember that a credit score amounts to a prediction of how likely it will be that you go 60 days late or more on your mortgage in the next two years. One thing that will really lower this score is if you carry high balances on revolving debt and then start making a few of the payments late. This is the pattern of a consumer who is close to getting in trouble with debt.
Things that may go into a collection or judgement that will hurt you credit are; unpaid medical payments, unpaid utility payments, and unpaid cell phones or cable payments.
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