--- title: Tips for improving your credit score description: Learn about what you can do to improve your credit score. image: https://blog.accesscu.ca/hubfs/Credit-score-tips.jpg --- #003B49 [![AccessCU\_Horizontal\_Colour\_pws-1](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/AccessCU_Horizontal_Colour_pws-1.png?width=199&height=50&name=AccessCU_Horizontal_Colour_pws-1.png "AccessCU_Horizontal_Colour_pws-1")](https://www.accesscu.ca/) Open main menu Close main menu [Tips & Advice](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/tips-advice) [Financial Literacy](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/financial-literacy) # Tips for improving your credit score ![Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Access_LogoMark.jpg?width=45&name=Access_LogoMark.jpg) [Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/author/access-credit-union) [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://blog.accesscu.ca/tips-for-improving-your-credit-score) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.accesscu.ca/tips-for-improving-your-credit-score) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.accesscu.ca/tips-for-improving-your-credit-score) ![](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hubfs/Credit-score-tips.jpg) A strong credit score could not only save you thousands of dollars in interest over your lifetime, but it will also take you places. Buying things like a home, vehicle, or any other large purchase usually requires a good credit score.  A weak credit score could not just cost you more money, but it can also close doors in your life, and nobody wants that. The good news is, if you let your credit score slide downward over the years, there are things you can do to improve it! It won’t happen overnight, but it all makes a big difference.  - **Pay on time** The most important factor in improving your credit score is making your payments on time. There is no way around this. Automated bill payments can be helpful, but if your accounts tend to dip below zero from time to time, a rejected payment will also cause you problems. - **Keep your balance low** When using credit, the ratio of your balance vs overall available credit matters quite a bit. It's best to keep your credit utilization ratio under 30% - but the lower the better. - **Pay off old accounts, then leave them alone** After paying off your older accounts, keep them around. Credit scores like fiscal restraint, and when trying to repair yours, having some older, zero-balance accounts should help. - **Limit new applications** While checking your credit score by yourself does not affect it, applying for credit does. If a business or financial institution has to run a credit check on you, that will leave a small mark behind, so limit how often you do this. It’s also better, in general, not to apply for a ton of credit while trying to improve your score. - **Diversify your credit** Oddly enough, different types of credit can help improve your score. Lenders like to see that a person can handle different arrangements, such as credit cards, student loans, car payments, or mortgages. - **Keep an eye on your credit** Errors happen. You should always check your credit score at least once or twice a year. This helps keep tabs on fraud as well as human error. ## Related Articles [![](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hubfs/Hover-before-you-click.jpg)](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hover-before-you-click-to-prevent-fraud) [Fraud](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/fraud) [Tips & Advice](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/tips-advice) [Security](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/security) ### [Hover Before You Click to Prevent Fraud](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hover-before-you-click-to-prevent-fraud) ### Learn to identify "phishing" emails that ask for personal information. ![Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Access_LogoMark.jpg?width=45&name=Access_LogoMark.jpg) [Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/author/access-credit-union) [Read More](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hover-before-you-click-to-prevent-fraud) [![](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hubfs/Three-reasons-why-it-pays-to-get-an-RRSP.jpg)](https://blog.accesscu.ca/why-it-pays-to-get-an-rrsp) [Saving](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/saving) [Retirement Savings](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/retirement-savings) [Tips & Advice](https://blog.accesscu.ca/tag/tips-advice) ### [3 reasons why it pays to get an RRSP in Manitoba](https://blog.accesscu.ca/why-it-pays-to-get-an-rrsp) The purpose of an RRSP is to ultimately help you save for retirement. Of course, if you’re retiring tomorrow and haven’t contributed a penny, it might be a little too... ![Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Access_LogoMark.jpg?width=45&name=Access_LogoMark.jpg) [Access Credit Union](https://blog.accesscu.ca/author/access-credit-union) [Read More](https://blog.accesscu.ca/why-it-pays-to-get-an-rrsp) #### Connect with Access Credit Union Follow Access Credit Union on social media for financial advice and news from our member community.  [![facebookwhite\_64x64](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/facebookwhite_64x64.png?width=45&height=45&name=facebookwhite_64x64.png)](https://www.facebook.com/AccessCreditUnion) [![linkedin](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/linkedin-6-64.png?width=45&name=linkedin-6-64.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-credit-union)[![instagramwhite\_64x64](https://blog.accesscu.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/instagramwhite_64x64.png?width=45&height=45&name=instagramwhite_64x64.png)](https://www.instagram.com/accesscreditunion/)