Five Ways to Get a Good Credit Score

If you are looking for five ways to get a good credit score, keep in mind that the first step is to get a copy of your credit report to know where you stand right now.

There may be errors on your credit report dragging your score down. Get any errors corrected and any old debts resolved, and you'll see a better credit score quickly.

If you have any debts that are delinquent -whether it's one month behind or so behind that the debt is in collections- it's time to bring these accounts up to date.

Of the five ways to get a good credit score, this may be the most important step that will have the biggest effect on your score overall.

The amount of money you owe on your credit accounts effects your credit score, especially if your credit cards and lines of credit are nearly maxed out.

Pay down the debt you owe, and your credit score may increase quite a bit.

Since the amount of credit you have available in relation to your credit limits has a big influence on your credit score, don't close any accounts that you have recently paid off

The length of time you have had credit accounts also brings your score up or down, so this is another reason to avoid closing accounts if your main objective is to bring your score up.

Every time you apply for new credit, an inquiry is placed on your credit report. This does not have a huge effect on your score on an individual basis, but if you apply for several new accounts in a short period of time you may force your score down.

When trying to get a good credit score, avoid applying for new credit if possible.

You might be surprised to find that you can aggressively pursue some quick fixes with your credit report. For example, if you have one late payment on a credit card that otherwise has a perfect track record of on-time payments, some lenders are willing to remove the negative information from your credit history even though it's accurate.

Don't be afraid to ask for things that may help you get a good credit score.