Don't Be Late

• Having a history of late payments will hurt your credit rating
• The later the payment (whether 30, 60 or 90 days), the more negative your rating

Don't Apply for Every Offer

• Whenever anyone checks your credit report because of your application, an inquiry is added to the report
• Too many inquiries could count against you
• Creditors may believe you are applying for lots of credit because of financial difficulties, or that you are potentially overextending yourself by taking on more credit obligations than you can pay

Don't File for Bankruptcy

• Bankruptcies and 'charge offs' - where a creditor writes off the amount you owe because of your inability to pay - are viewed negatively
• If you are in financial difficulty, try first talking to your creditors and arranging a schedule for paying off your debt over time
• For help, contact any of a number of non profit credit counselling services - check online or in your phone directory for a counselling service near you