Check in with them regularly and make sure your info is up to date. They’ll give you the big picture of where you need to start on your credit journey. 

Maybe what you find isn’t so great, but that’s why you’re reading this – to take steps to fix it! 

Keeping your balances as low as you can shows you’re not overspending and doing a good job of managing your credit responsibilities. 

There are a lot of different options out there. Think about what kind of card makes sense for your spending, budget and lifestyle. You don’t need a lot of accounts – that may tempt you to overspend. 

Most credit card companies, mortgage lenders and possibly landlords and utilities, report on-time payments, which will improve your credit history and may improve your credit score. 

If your bills are higher than you would like, work out a plan to make those payments on time each month, and see if you can pay more than the minimum to pay off your balance more quickly – possibly saving you money in the future. 

If you know exactly where your money goes each month, it’ll be easier to pay off any debt you may have. 

No budget? No problem. It’s an easy thing to start. Click here for helpful suggestions on how to create – and keep to – a budget. 

When you use credit wisely, it’s an investment into your future. Building good credit history is an important part of your financial future, and may someday help you make a big-ticket purchase like a home or a car. 

There are no quick credit fixes – building or rebuilding credit may take a while, but it’s worth it.