With credit card offers, car purchases, mortgages, and the variety of other things that put you in debt, it is very easy to get in over your head. One missed payment here, a few open credit cards there, and the next thing you know you can’t even qualify for a credit card at the Gap.

People with bad credit generally never plan on ending up that way. I know I didn’t. For me, it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t make any payments on time, I got hit by a few things I did not realize could hurt your credit score. So if you have good credit and want it to stay that way here are some tips for you.

1. Get a copy of your credit score from all three credit agencies (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) You can do this by going to their official website. You can also get a free copy of your credit report if you get declined for a new credit card or your limit gets decreased on an existing card.
2. Once you get the report, review them all carefully. Each one may have different entries and accounts listed, so do not assume they are all the same.
3. Don’t apply for a large number of credit cards, no matter what their limit. Believe it or not those applications you fill out at an event to get a free blanket or t-shirt, can actually end up hurting your credit even if you never use the card. The more times an inquiry is placed on your credit history the more it can actually hurt your score.
4. Dispute any incorrect or inaccurate charges. If there are any late payments or charges that you have that you do not agree with, you can dispute them with the credit company to get them removed. The burden of proof is then on the credit company to prove their claim. You can even try to dispute the same claim more than once if it gets denied the first time as some credit companies don’t bother with defending some claims. For more detailed tips on disputing credit report errors go here to the .gov site.
5. If you have a good standing with one company but perhaps you have one late payment with them, write them and ask for a ‘goodwill adjustment.’ Often if you have a proven track record with a company, they may simple erase one late payment off of your record. It doesn’t work every time, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
6. Keep your credit card balances low and don’t max them out, even if you pay your balance on time every month. It is actually better to have a few credit cards with small balances than it is to have one with a really large balance.
7. Pay your credit card bills on time! Generally for one reason or another this is the reason you have gotten in trouble in the first place, so make sure you keep on it. And while most people say to pay off your credit cards with the highest rate first, it is just as good of a strategy to pay off the ones closest to their limit first.

I hope these few tips are helpful in improving your credit score. There are a lot of intricacies of the credit system that many people are not aware that they can take advantage of. With this credit crisis and the state of the economy these days, it is best to keep a watchful eye on one’s credit and do your best to keep from ruining your credit for the future.