How to Clean Up & Improve Your Credit Score

Cleaning up and improving your credit score can put you on the path to A+ credit, which means lower interest rates on loans and easy loan approvals. Acquiring good credit is a major accomplishment. But like most things in life, keeping a high credit score is an ongoing job. While it takes effort to maintain a high rating, the rewards of a prime rating are well worth the effort.

Instructions

1

Monitor your personal report. Get a credit report annually to keep wrong information off your report. Dispute errors to help increase your credit score. Obtain reports from Annual Credit Report. Consumers are entitled to one free credit report a year.

2

Fix your payment history. Start anew and rebuild your credit by improving your payment habits. Pay every creditor on time each month and do not skip payments. Online payment systems help alleviate late payments.

3

Deal with high balances. Begin making higher payments on credit cards to help bring down or eliminate your balances. High debts lower your credit score, and lenders prefer applicants who demonstrate self-control.

4

Put off applying for new lines of credit. Applying for a credit card or loan when trying to improve your credit score can cause further damage. Each credit application reduces your credit score. Think twice before requesting a credit application and only apply when necessary.

5

Negotiate with creditors. Establish a payment plan with old creditors to satisfy collection accounts and judgments. Ask your creditors to delete these accounts from your credit report once you've paid the balance. Removing negative remarks can help your credit score.