1. You pay your bills on time
2. You have a small amount of total debt
3. You don't have a lot of open credit
4. You are stable and responsible

You Pay Your Bills On Time

• You are considered a good credit risk if you have a history of paying your bills on time

You Have a Small Amount of Total Debt

• Make sure your total debt is not too large
• If a large portion of your income each month is already committed to paying off other credit, creditors will need to think about extending you new credit

You Don't Have a Lot of Open Credit

• Excess open credit can result from having too many credit cards
• You may think having a lot of credit cards with high limits is a sign that you have good credit, but creditors may look on your available credit as being a potential debt
• In other words, creditors may believe too much open credit may lead you to overextend yourself in the future

You Are Stable and Responsible

• Creditors look for signs of stability and responsibility
• Numerous changes in address and/or employment may hurt your rating