Payment History Tips
+ Pay your bills on time.
+ Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your score.
+ If you have missed payments, get current and stay current.
+ The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your score.
+ Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report.

Amounts Owed Tips
+ Keep balances low on credit cards and other revolving credit.
+ High outstanding debt can affect a score. One rule of thumb: for a good credit score, your account balances should be below 50% of your available credit. For example, if you have a $2000 credit limit, you should have a balance of no more than $1000.
+ Pay off debt rather than moving it around.
+ The most effective way to improve your score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.
+ Don't open a number of new credit cards that you don't need,

Close Unneeded Accounts.
+ The less available credit you have, the less risk you will pose to a potential creditor or lender. Keep around two to four credit cards for the best score. Close all unused or unnecessary accounts.
+ Just cutting up your card and tossing it in the trash does not close your credit card account. The safest way to close a credit card account is by sending a certified letter to the customer service department of the card issuer. Ask the card issuer to close your account and to report your account to credit bureaus as "closed by consumer." In approximately 10 days, the card issuer should send you a letter confirming that your account is "closed by the consumer." If you don't receive the confirmation letter, follow up by calling the card issuer to make sure it closed your card and is reporting it properly to the credit bureaus. You may even want to get another copy of your credit report to make sure it is reported correctly.

Length of Credit History Tips
+ If you have been managing credit for a short time, don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly.
+ New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your score if you don't have a lot of other credit information. Also, rapid account buildup can look risky if you are a new credit user.

Avoid Unnecessary Inquiries.
+ Every time you apply for credit, or your credit report is accessed for another reason, that fact will be listed on your credit report as an inquiry. Many inquiries make it appear that you are shopping for credit, which indicates that you anticipate the need for many lines of credit.
+ Inquiries for pre-approved credit card offers you didn't accept, as well as inquiries created when you review your own credit report, will not count against you.
+ If you apply for a car loan at a dealer or home loan through a mortgage broker, you may see a sudden flurry of inquiries as they present your application to many lenders. Don't worry. When it comes to those kinds of credit inquiries, made within 30 days of each other, they count as only one inquiry. This is so that you are not penalized for shopping around for the best deal.

New Credit Tips
+ Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time.
+ FICO® scores distinguish between a search for a single loan and a search for many new credit lines, in part by the length of time over which inquiries occur.
+ Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems.
+ Opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time will raise your score in the long term.
+ Note that it's OK to request and check your own credit report. This won't affect your score, as long as you order your credit report directly from the credit reporting agency or through an organization authorized to provide credit reports to consumers.

Types of Credit Use Tips
+ Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed.
+ Don't open accounts just to have a better credit mix - it probably won't raise your score.
+ Have credit cards - but manage them responsibly.
+ In general, having credit cards and installment loans (and paying timely payments) will raise your score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit cards responsibly.
+ Note that closing an account doesn't make it go away.
+ A closed account will still show up on your credit report, and may be considered by the score.

Other Tips.
+ Reviewing Your Credit Report Puts You In Control
+ You should first get a copy of your credit report. You have to know what's there before you can make it better. There are three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. It is recommended that you get all three or a consolidated credit report because many mortgage lenders will obtain data from all three of these bureaus in analyzing your credit history.
+ Carefully review your credit report and correct any errors or incomplete information. By making sure that only your accurate credit history appears on your report, you ensure that the credit score it generates isn't lowered by inaccurate information.
+ Review your credit score analysis and improve factors reported as reason codes. Your score is accompanied by a maximum of four "Reason Codes" that explain why your score wasn't higher, listed in order of impact on the score. These codes are essential in helping you improve your score later in time.

Add Information Showing Stability
+ Creditors like to see evidence of stability in your file. If any of the items listed below are missing, send a letter to the credit reporting agencies asking that the information be added. Enclose any documentation that verifies information you're providing,
* Current employment -- employer's name and address and your job title
* Previous employment if you've had your current job less than two years.
* Current residence, and if you own it.
* Previous residence if you've been at your current place under two years.