Do you feel your credit stands in the way of getting approved for financing for a home or a new car? Having bad credit can do more than prevent you from getting approved for a loan; you may also have to pay more for insurance and provide a security deposit of utilities if you move. Financial challenges can occur to anyone, any time. The good news is you can begin to improve your credit immediately. While repairing your credit does take time, it’s possible to improve it as long as you’re dedicated to positive financial habits.

1. Pay Your Bills on Time

This is one of the easiest ways to build your credit score and, most importantly, build great financial habits. When you pay your bills on time, you ensure no payments end up in collections.

Create a budget. A budget tells you where your money is going and helps you plan to spend it wisely. Start by calculating how much income you have each month, then tally up your expenses, from ones that are due monthly, such as utilities and rent or a mortgage, to those due less often, such as taxes, car maintenance, etc. Also, be sure to include other expenses such as coffee runs, lunches with coworkers and other non-essential expenses. This will give you a clear picture of your financial state and help you see where you can save money.

Reduce non-essential expenses. The first place to make cuts if you’re trying to save money is your non-essential expenses. Try making coffee at home or at work instead of buying one every morning, and reserve going out to lunch for Fridays to save on restaurant expenses. While it may not seem like much, making small cuts will help you save money, pay down debt and live well within your means.

Track your spending. Creating a budget is only half the battle; the other half is tracking your expenses. Tracking helps you stick to your budget. Write your expenses in a notebook or input them in an app; either way, take the time to track your spending and you’ll always know where your money is going.

Set up automatic payments. If you have trouble remembering when bills are due, set up automatic payments. Or, if you prefer to pay all of your monthly bills at a specific time, set up payment reminders to help you remember due dates.

2. Review Your Credit History

The place to begin when improving your credit is with your credit history. You’re legally entitled to a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus each year through annualcreditreport.com. Reviewing your credit periodically allows you to see if there is information that may negatively impact your score.

Look for incorrect information such as payments that were incorrectly reported late, accounts that aren’t yours, etc.

Be aware of accounts that are past due, that are late, have been charged off (i.e., the payment is 180 days past due) or have been sent to collections, as well as accounts that are over the credit limit.

Dispute inaccurate or incomplete information. While you can do this online or over the phone, it may be best to do it through the mail so you can create a paper trail. If your dispute is legitimate, the credit bureau will investigate and give you a response.

3. Pay Down Your Debt

Reduce your debt-to-income ratio. When assessing your loan application, lenders consider your debt-to-income ratio; that is how much debt you have compared to your income. The lower your ratio, the more likely you’ll qualify for a great loan. Start with the cards or debt with the highest interest rates first and, once you’ve paid them off, go to the debt with the next highest interest rate. Over time, you’ll have paid off your debts.

Increase your available credit. You may be able to increase your credit limits on your credit cards if you’ve been a good customer. Call your credit card company to learn more.

4. Use Credit Wisely

Once you have credit, it’s important to use it responsibly. Here’s how:

Don’t open new accounts, unless you have to. Opening several new accounts at a time may raise red flags for potential lenders. If you’re rate shopping, lump it into a single inquiry. Several new inquiries into your credit can count against you.

Keep a low balance. on credit cards and revolving credit. Credit issuers often report your balance to the credit agencies on a certain date, typically the last day of your billing cycle. Consider paying all of part of your bill before the closing date (call your credit issuer to find out the specific date) so the issuer will report a lower or zero balance. Also, ask your issuer if they accept multiple payments during the month to help you maintain a lower balance and still earn rewards.

Pay off debt instead of moving it to another account or a new account. Start with the highest interest rate card or loan. Once that debt is gone, pay down the balance with the next highest interest rate. Continue the process until you’ve paid off all your existing credit card and loan debt.

Maintain a credit utilization ratio of less than 30 percent. Simply put, your balances make up 30 percent of the total amount of credit available to you. If you’d like to increase your credit score faster, lower your credit utilization ratio to less than 10 percent.

5. Seek Professional Help

It’s never too late to repair your credit. If you have trouble making ends meet, notify your creditors and see a credit counselor. A professional will be able to help you get an accurate overview of your debt, decide which debt to pay off first, help you cultivate good financial habits, and create a debt-free plan.

How Long Does Negative Information Stay On Your Credit report?

This is one of the most common questions people ask when they’re trying to repair their credit. The good news is, in most cases, nothing lasts forever. The older the incident, the smaller the impact it has on your overall credit score.

1. Late Payments- Remain 7 Years

2. Judgments- Remain 7 Years

3. Short Sale- Remains 7 Years

4. Foreclosure- Remains 7 Years

5. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy- Remains 7 Years (from filing date)

6. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy- Remains 10 Years (from filing date)

7. Tax Liens- Remain until lien is paid in full, plus 7 years (though they may remain indefinitely)