| In these tough times, it's more important than ever to | | | | There are a few things you can do. They're very |
| have a great credit score. Whether you're renting an | | | | easy and you can get started right away! |
| apartment, applying for college loans, getting dental | | | | 1) If you have too many credit cards, you need to start |
| work done, your credit score has been checked. | | | | paying them off one by one. The reason for this is to |
| Your credit score determines how high your interest | | | | remove as much credit from your record until you only |
| rate will be. A better score can lower your interest | | | | have one or two credit cards available. |
| rate. This means that the lenders know you have a | | | | 2) Purchase only the necessities. Items like food, gas, |
| good record of making payments, so there's less risk | | | | and rent are what you need to live on. If you hold back |
| of skipping out on repaying them back and you'll end | | | | on the luxury items, you'll be able to start paying off |
| up with paying less per month than someone with a | | | | those credit cards. |
| higher credit score. | | | | 3) Make payments on time every month. It might be |
| For a long time, it's been a closely guarded secret in | | | | difficult, but if you at least make the minimal payment |
| the lending industry. It's a complex number gathered | | | | on a regular basis, the card companies will notice this. It |
| from three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, | | | | will take some time but you'll be able to notice a |
| and TransUnion. | | | | difference in your credit score. |
| What can I do to improve my credit score? | | | | How do I know my credit score? |