How to Improve Your Credit Score

Here are some thoughts from Money Central on how to boost your score even if your credit score is already high. Their suggestions:

• Use credit sparingly.
• Use a small fraction of your available credit.
• Don't carry a wallet loaded with cards.
• Make every payment on time.
• View credit as a safety net.
• Look at your credit report.

Here's how I stack up on these:

1. I only use credit for budget expenses and pay them off every month.

2. The most I charge in a month is a couple thousand dollars, though I try to put as much as possible on my cards since it helps me earn extra cash -- which is part of my $10k strategy for this year.

3. I carry only two cards: Blue Cash from American Express and
Subaru Platinum MasterCard from Chase. The first makes me money and the second saves me money.

4. Done. I think I've been late on one payment in 20 years and that's because I forgot the bill, still mailed it on time, and it was posted a day late since mail stopped over a holiday weekend.

5. I view credit as a little more than a safety net -- it's simply a part of how we spend money (for the reasons noted above.) But we do pay it off every month and certainly don't carry a balance.

6. I look at mine at least once a year though I should do it more often. Just reviewed it a couple months ago.