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It's important to note that managing your score is a bit like losing weight: It takes time and there are no shortcuts. In fact, quick-fix efforts can backfire. The best advice is to manage credit responsibly over time.

Making Payments

• Pay your bills on time.
  Your payment history is the largest contributor to your FICO score. Consistently make all of your payments on time. If you cannot pay down the full balance on an account, then pay down at least the minimum amount due. If you are forgetful about paying bills, sign up with an automatic bill pay service.
  
• If you can, pay off more than the minimum on credit cards.
  The larger the cushion between the balance on your credit card and its credit limit, the more it will help your FICO score.
  
• Do not miss payments on an account for very long.
  If you miss payments on an account for many months or longer, then the account can go into late status, be charged off, sent to a collection agency, or even result in a court judgment. This can cause your FICO score to drop dramatically.
  
• If you have missed payments, get current and stay current.
  The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your score. If the payments on your accounts are past due, get caught up as soon as possible.
  
• Pay off collections, judgments, or tax liens.
  Unpaid collections, unsatisfied judgments, and unreleased tax liens are all evidence that you have not paid your debts in the past. Paying off the debts that resulted in a collection, judgment, or tax lien won't remove it from your credit report, but it will reduce the damage it causes to your score. But be aware that paying off a collection, judgment, or tax lien will make it recently active, which could cause your score to drop in the short term.
  
• If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors or see a legitimate credit counselor.
  Try to work out a payment arrangement with your creditors and negotiate with them to keep at least a portion of the late notations off of your credit reports. If your situation is serious, see a legitimate, non profit credit counselor. Avoid the scam artists who promise a quick reversal of your credit problems. This won't change your score immediately, but if you can begin to manage your credit and pay on time, your score should get better over time.

Managing Balances

• Keep balances low on credit cards and other "revolving credit".
  Low balances on credit cards are better for your FICO score. "Maxing out" your credit cards, that is, keeping high balances that are close to the credit limit, is a sign to lenders that you are overextending yourself and dependent on credit to maintain, or artificially enhance, your style of living. It can be regarded as an indication that you are not in control of your spending habits because you consume up to the maximum that your credit will allow.
  
• Pay off debt rather than moving it around.
  Paying down your balances is better for your score than transferring them to a new account. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.

Establishing Credit

• Establish credit early.
  In general, a longer credit history is better for your FICO score.
  
• Become a co-applicant on a friend or relative's account.
  One way to establish better credit is to have a friend or family member allow you to be listed on their credit card as a joint applicant. Because you are a co-applicant, your credit report will be updated with the positive payment record that your friend has accumulated over the years. As your friend continues to charge on their card and pay faithfully, they will continue to build credit for you. Parents can list a child as a co-applicant on a credit card in order to establish the child's credit history early.
  
• Get a secured card.
  A secured card is a card for which you forward money to the issuer when you open the account, and in return, the issuer will give you a credit line no larger than the amount you deposited. A secured card allows you to open a credit account that establishes your credit history, even when you are turned down for credit cards because of a bad credit history or no credit history. Before acquiring the secured card, make sure that the issuer will report your payment history to the credit reporting company, just like any other credit card would. Also make sure that the card won't be reported to the credit reporting company as "secured" by the credit issuer.
  
• Get a merchant card.
  Apply for cards from retail stores or gasoline companies because department store and gas cards are usually easier to qualify for. Making reasonable monthly charges and making consistent monthly payments will enable you to establish credit.
  

Applying for New Credit

• Avoid opening too many new accounts at once.
  This is a sign to lenders that you could be in desperate financial condition and must apply for as much credit as you can get. This can lower your FICO score. Avoid opening too many accounts in a short period of time especially if your credit history is less than three years old; this is a red flag to lenders that you will be a risky customer. Only apply for credit that you need when you need it.
  
• Avoid applying for too many accounts over several months.
  When you apply for credit, whether you qualify for the account or not, this is noted on your credit report as an inquiry. Too many inquiries are a sign to lenders that you are desperate for new credit and are attempting to acquire multiple lines of credit at the same time.
  
• Do all rate shopping for a new card or loan within a few weeks.
  Shopping for the best interest rate on a new loan or credit card is smart. For this reason, FICO scores will attempt to distinguish between someone searching for the best rate on a new loan or card from someone who wants to open multiple loans or cards at the same time. One way this is done is by treating all the inquires in a two week period like a single inquiry. So if you are shopping for the best rate, do so quickly, in a matter of days, instead of stringing the process over the period of months.
  
• Don't open new credit cards that you don't need, just to improve your FICO score.
  Unless you are establishing a credit history, don't apply for credit cards you don't need just to increase your available credit. This approach could backfire and actually lower your score.
  
• Be neat and consistent when filling out credit applications.
  This will ensure that all your good deeds get recorded in a single file as opposed to multiple files or, worse, someone else's file. Watch out for inconsistencies in the use of "Jr." and "Sr."
  

Closing Credit Cards

• Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score.
  This can reduce your amount of available credit. So if you keep the same balances that you did before, it looks more like you are "maxing out" your remaining credit cards, which will lower your score.
  
• Keep some credit accounts - but manage them responsibly.
  In general, keeping a couple of credit cards or installment loans open, and making timely payments, is better than closing all accounts. Someone with no credit cards and no credit history is seen by lenders as more risky than someone who has managed credit cards responsibly.
  
• Closing an account doesn't make it go away.
  A closed account will still show up on your credit report for as long as seven years. It is not a strategy for removing evidence of late payments or past due amounts from your credit report.
  

Keep Your Credit Report Accurate

• Examine your credit report for errors.
  The Score Power reports provided with your Score Watch subscription are perfect for determining whether your credit report contains errors. Look closely at all the data on your Score Power report to see that it all matches up. Make sure that your name, Social Security number, and addresses are correct and current. Look for accounts, inquiries, collections, or public records that are not yours. Incorrect information may be costing you the FICO score you deserve.
  
• If you find errors on your credit report, correct them.
  Contact your creditors or send letters of dispute to the credit reporting companies to have any errors on your credit report corrected. The credit reporting companies have 30 days to investigate your claim and make the correction.
  
• Keep tabs on your FICO score and Equifax credit report with Score Watch.
  Score Watch is the best way to keep informed about changes to your FICO score and Equifax credit report. If you want to monitor your progress in managing your credit, or follow up to see that corrections have the desired effect, Score Watch is your best choice.