Building and maintaining good credit is essential. Why? Because someday you’re going to want to buy a car or a house. And believe it or not, employers look at credit before they offer you a job. Here are a few ways to grow and keep your good credit.

Always Make Your Payments
Your Payment History tells potential creditors (and employers) how reliable you are with their money or business. Miss one payment and it WILL lower your credit score.

Watch Your Credit Closely
Carrying a balance on a credit card or store charge card is okay when it’s low – like $300. It can actually help build your score. Just be sure to pay it off within 90 days to avoid the urge to add more to the total.

Don’t Carry Too Much Credit
There is no perfect number of credit cards or loans to build credit. Simply be conservative and keep it to a minimum until you are out of school or are holding a higher paying job.

Longevity Is Important
The longer you keep a credit account the better. It shows that you are reliable and can be trusted with credit.

Call the Reporting Agencies
Every year you can request a free credit report from each of the three reporting agencies. To get your report, visit freecreditreport.com. Once you have your reports, be sure to look for errors. If you find one, call the reporting agency at the numbers below.

Equifax 800.685.1111

TransUnion 800.916.8800

Experian 888.397.3742