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Thursday 17 November 2011

How To Maintain Good Credit

By Crystal Powers


A good credit score can be a real advantage. A credit score can become a liability if you don't keep track of it. Have you checked your credit report lately?

The law tells us that we can get a copy of our credit report free every year from each of the 3 nationwide credit reporting agencies, which are the Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The three companies have formed a central agency so that you can request a copy from all of them at once. It is called the Annual Credit Report, and you can also access it through the Internet.

This report can be advantageous for you in maintaining your lifestyle and can also save you money. When you do regular monitoring on your credit report, you can easily see any errors and have them corrected right away. You can catch any funny business quickly with it too, like with identity theft.

There are just a few things you need to do to maintain a good credit score.

First and foremost, make your payments on time.

Don't go over your budget and manage any debts you have.

Do just what you're doing and monitor your credit report regularly to correct any possible errors.

If you can, avoid making unnecessary inquiries about your credit report, because every request can be marked against your good record.

If you can reduce your credit card balances, do it.

If you don't have enough credit history, you may consider applying for new credit.

When you do regular checking of your credit reports, you'll maintain a good FICO score also. You might be wondering what a FICO score is.

A FICO score is the grade that financial institutions use to judge the risk when they extend you credit. The higher the FICO score, the better. The scores are usually from 499 to over 800.

By keeping a close watch on your credit reports, you can help to protect your good credit. You credit score will dictate the interest rates of future loans that you make. A good credit score can save you money.




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