How Do I Add Positive Credit to My Credit Report?

Your credit history contains a wealth of financial information about you that creditors and lenders use when determining whether to accept you as a customer. Depending on how past creditors have reported your accounts, your credit report can contain positive information, negative information or both. The more positive information your credit report reflects, the higher your resulting credit score. You can add positive information to your credit report and improve your credit score even if your credit file contains negative information.

Instructions

1

Get copies of your credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com and downloading them online or order them directly from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only website approved by the Federal Trade Commission to provide consumers with annual free credit reports. Regardless of which method you choose, request all three reports.

2

Check your credit reports for any missing account information. For example, if you have a credit card account you pay regularly that does not appear on any of your credit reports, note this fact.

3

Contact any creditors whose accounts do not appear on your credit records. Request that they add your accounts and payment histories to your credit report.

4

Add new credit. The FICO scoring formula bases 15 percent of your credit score on the types of accounts reflected in your file. The more favorable your balance of credit accounts to loan accounts, the better your score. Thus, if your credit report reflects several loan accounts but no credit accounts, apply for a new credit card. If your report reflects credit card accounts but no loan accounts, apply for a small personal loan to balance out your debt.

5

Ask someone with a positive credit card payment history to add you to his credit card account as an authorized user. His credit card company will then report his positive account history on your credit report---boosting your score.

6

Pay your debts in a timely manner. Every payment you make to your creditors appears on your credit report. Your payment history is the single most significant aspect of your credit score. The more on-time payments you make, the more positive reports you'll accrue.