Add Positive Information to Your Credit Report

Maintaining a good credit standing and continuing to exhibit responsible credit behavior are the best ways to ensure you are presenting the most positive picture of your credit worthiness. The more good and stable information you can provide about yourself, the more comfortable lenders may feel extending credit to you. Even if you have remaining blemishes on your credit report, you can offset those blemishes by adding positive credit information to your report.

Examples of positive information include:

• Paying your credit obligations on time every time
• Continuing to maintain lower balances on your credit cards and other revolving accounts
• Using credit actively and responsibly
• Long relationships with creditors
  
  

Make sure every positive information is included in your credit report.

When you review your credit report, you might be frustrated if you found some of your good accounts did not show up on your credit report. Some creditors like gasoline card companies, local banks and credit unions may not report your credit history to the credit reporting agencies. You can try asking the creditors to report your payment history to a credit bureau although it's not guaranteed.

Alternatively, you may switch to a card that sends your on-time payments to a credit bureau, such as credit cards and secured cards.

Keep using credit with responsibility

One of the most important things you can do to keep your credit healthy is to use your credit actively but responsibly. Use a credit card each month at least once a month and pay all your bills on time in order to consistently add new positive information to your credit report. It's important not to spend more than you can pay off each month. If you allow your credit cards to go dormant or close too many accounts, this positive reporting slows down and your credit score could drop. The longer you keep up your stable credit activity, the better your credit score will be.

Long relationships with creditors have a more positive effect on your credit score than newer relationships.

Show stability

Creditors like to see evidence of stability in your file. Information such as having the same job or address for a few years can make you appear to be more stable in lenders’ eyes.

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.
  Date of birth
  

Credit reporting agencies aren't required to add this information, but they often do.

Get a credit card if you don't have any

If you don't have one yet, getting a major Visa or MasterCard is probably the best and easiest credit reference you can get. Therefore, it is important to get one of these cards and make regular steady payments to improve your credit rating.