Gracefully Yours presents Life Lessons with Ronnie Crooper.
Personal credit tips by Ronnie Cropper, Founder of DisputeDoc
1. Keep low balances
A major contributing factor for your credit score is how much credit you have versus what you have
used. The lower the utilization, the better it is for your credit rating. Aim for 20 percent or lower.
That means no more shoe splurges or fancy restaurants unless you can pay it off.
What you might not know: Even if you pay balances in full every month, you still could have a higher
utilization ratio than you'd expect. That's because some issuers use the balance on your statement as
the one reported to the bureau. Even if you're paying balances in full every month, your credit score
will still weigh your monthly balances.
My advice? See if the credit card issuer will provide you with your statement date;
2. Do not remove old debt
That means once you have paid off that car or home, most people will try to remove it from their credit
report.
But it's important to know the difference between good debt and bad debt. Good debt - debt that
you've handled well and paid as agreed - helps build good credit history.
If you have a solid repayment record, don't close old accounts. It shows you are potentially a good
future candidate for loans.
3. Bills, Bills, Bills
Sometimes life gets in the way or it's easier to ignore the bills, but good credit relies on timely
payments.
We all know this... but what we don't know is that there are ways out. We just don't want to face it until
it is too late. the moment you know you are late on something, contact the creditors. There are many
solutions that can be offered to consumers to prevent late payments if you communicate.