6 easy ways to raise your credit score

Having a good credit score typically means better rates on things like credit cards, mortgages, and other loans. If your score is not as high as you want it to be, there are some simple steps you can take to give it a boost.

Know you score

One of the most important things you can do is know where you stand.

Check your credit report regularly and look for any errors or accounts you did not open. Getting any mistakes on your report corrected will help improve your score.

You can get one free credit report per year from annualcreditreport.com.

Credit Karma and Credit Wise are two other free options that provide you weekly updates without affecting your score.

Pay on time

Bill payments make up 35% of your credit score. You can lose up to 50 points if you are 30 days late and up to 100 points if your bills are more than 90 days past due.

Keep balances low

Try to lower the amount you owe by paying more than the monthly minimum.

Experts say you should also avoid using more than 20% of your total limit on any one card.

Ask for an increase

Try contacting your credit card company to ask if your credit limit can be raised.

Having a bigger gap between your spending limit and what you owe can add points to your credit score.

Good vs. bad debt

Not all credit and debt are created equal. Loans for things like mortgages, vehicles and school have less of an impact on your score than personal loans and credit card debt.

Build history

If you need to close a credit card, get rid of your newest card first and leave your oldest lines of credit open.

Length of credit history also goes into account when it comes to figuring out your score.