Can I Build Positive Credit?
January 31, 2010 by Jesse Smith
Filed under Credit
If you know how to build positive credit, you will know how to increase your credit score. Low interest credit products will be available to you if you build positive credit.
It is a common misperception that if you charge massive amounts on your credit cards and then pay them off each month, you will be building positive credit. In addition to not being necessarily true, this, in actuality, can hurt your credit standing. The reason for this is that credit providers want to know how much credit you have available to you and, of that amount, how much credit you have used. So, let’s say that you have applied for credit and, during the approval process, your credit provider sits down to view your credit report. He finds that your credit report shows that almost all of the credit limit on your credit cards has been used, because you have not yet paid that month’s bills. This will give a skewed picture of your finances and make you look like a bad credit risk.
Additionally, using up most of your available credit will give the appearance of spending beyond your means. This may not be the case, however, it may look that way. If you are one of those that likes to charge everything, you may want to rethink this strategy.
Having huge amounts of available credit is not good either. So, what is a good mix? It is best to use anywhere from 10% to 20% of your available credit. This is a good sign to credit providers that you can gauge your spending as well as responsibly pay your bills.
You should try to have at least one credit card. If you suffer from poor credit, there are credit card providers that issue credit cards to people who have poor credit. Once you obtain your credit card, be sure to maintain the 10% to 20% guideline discussed above. By doing this, you should not amass huge amounts of monthly interest. Lastly, it is important to make sure that any credit cards you obtain or already have report to TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian, the three major credit reporting agencies.
You should be diligent in making at least the minimum payment due each month and never, ever be late with a payment. If you do this, your credit score will increase.
Small low-interest personal loans can also be used to build positive credit. Follow the same strategy of paying at least the minimum amount due each month and paying on time. In short, you can use any credit product to build positive credit as long as you use it responsibly and wisely.
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