If you care about your credit score, you’re probably wondering how you can get your score up.  The higher your score is, the lower your interest rates are going to be, as well as you won’t have to worry about being denied for anything.  It really is a great feeling.

For all those that say that you don’t need a credit score, I can’t help but laugh.  In this technological era, this is the only way that many banks go to determine rates and approvals.

I wanted to give you 11 simple mistakes that you should avoid if you’re thinking about trying to raise your score.

Don’t open a card if you don’t need to - The more cards you open, the more credit you’re going to have.  This is going to hurt you when you really need to open up credit in the future.

Always pay no matter what – If you can’t afford to pay a bill, find the cash to pay the minimums.  If you miss one payment, you will that it will come back to haunt you!

Don’t max out the cards - Maxing out all of your credit cards is a huge red flag.  You really have to sit back and think about what you’re purchasing?  Do you really need all of these items?

Don’t go over the limit - Sure, it can happen on accident, but if you’re thinking about purchasing and going over your limit, this can come back to harm you as well.

Paying your bills late - Yes, I know the credit card companies want your payments but always stress to pay them on time.  If you start to miss payments, the credit card companies will not like this over time.

Keep charging til the cows come home - Some people don’t view credit as real money.  They swipe, swipe, and swipe some more.  Get into the habit of treating your card like cash!

Report all changes - When you move, always make sure that you notify the post office and your credit card companies.  If you fail to do so, you will soon find out that you may be missing out on bills and more.  It’s essential to know that your bills are being mailed to the right place.

By being smart with your credit and knowing whats right from wrong, not only are you going to see your rates rise, you’re going to soon find out that you can get better rates and not have that thought in the back of your head that you’re going to get denied.