Below are the top credit management tips that we share with our clients.

  1. If possible, always pay off 100% of your credit card balances on the scheduled payment.  The credit card companies will charge interest on the total balance if you make a partial payment.  For example, if you have a $1,000 balance and you payoff $999, the interest is calculated on the $1,000 balance.
  2. If you maintain credit card balance(s), it is better to have multiple cards with 30% of the available credit used vs one card with 90% of the available credit used (assumes total balances are equal).  Your credit score is adversely affected with high usage percentages.
  3. Put your credit cards on auto payment.  Even if is just the minimum payment. This will save you from a missed payment and getting a derog on your credit report.
  4. Check your credit report for free, three times a year.  Each credit bureau is required to provide a free annual credit report at: annualcreditreport.com. Since there are 3 credit bureaus, you can spread out when to pull the free credit reports (for example, April/Experian, August/TransUnion & December/Equifax).
  5. Tired of getting unsolicited credit offers in the mail or by phone?  You may be able to reduce their frequency by opting out of the pre-screened service that the credit bureaus make available to credit vendors.  Here is the link to optout: optoutprescreen.com.