Came across this in IBD which has a few good tips on maximizing your credit score. It’s geared towards college grads but the info applies to anyone.
Steps For Boosting Your Credit Score
By PAUL KATZEFF, INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Buying a home, owning a car, educating your children … it often takes credit to afford your goals.
But college students often graduate with far more debt than credit savvy. The steps needed to build and improve credit apply to everyone, but they can be critical for grads starting off on the right foot.
• Check your credit report. This is step No. 1.“It’s essential to avoiding identity theft,” said Michelle Cass, a financial counselor with Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Midwest. As a 2007 graduate of Capital University, in Columbus, Ohio, she has faced the same issues as many other recent grads.
“It’s also how you make sure you get credit for on-time payments,” she added. “If you spot a problem, it lets you start to deal with it before you apply for credit.”
Also, if your report contains any errors, this lets you start the dispute process to correct it, she says.
A description of the dispute process is typically enclosed with a copy of your credit report.
You can get a free copy of your report from annualcreditreport.com.
• Make a budget. This lets you identify your goals. It also lets you rank them in terms of importance. Which things are essential? Which are mere desires?
Read more here: http://www.investors.com
