If you’ve ever been turned down for a credit card or offered a sky-high rate on a mortgage, your credit score might need some help.
A low credit score can get in your way when you’re trying to rent an apartment, apply for a loan, or even get a job – but many people don’t know how to make their score the best it can be. If you’re one of them, this simple trick can help you achieve the credit score that will open the doors to low APRs, elite credit cards, and anything else you need excellent credit to secure.
The one mistake you might be making
When paying down debt, many people believe that the final step to fiscal responsibility is to close the account they’ve been working so hard to pay off. They make that final credit card payment and proudly close the account, feeling triumphant.
But that’s actually the worst thing you can do when you’re trying to rebuild your credit score after being in debt. Why? Because the credit bureaus that calculate your credit score look at how long your accounts have been open, and give you points for having a long credit history. So if you close an account you’ve had for years, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
Length of credit card history isn’t the only thing that matters to potential lenders, and it’s not even the most important thing, but it is the easiest thing to achieve. All you have to do is leave your accounts open, and use them occasionally so they aren’t automatically closed due to inactivity.
What else matters?
How long your accounts have been open only counts for about fifteen percent of your credit score. The rest is calculated according to your payment history, the total amount you owe relative to your available credit, the types of credit lines you have open, and how much new credit you’ve applied for.
Of these, payment history and amount owed count for the most: about thirty percent each. So the best thing you can do is always make your payments on time, and keep your balances low. But in addition to that, make sure never to close an account, and your score will get an easy boost.