How to improve it
Payment history and credit utilization together account for most of your score. Bringing utilization below 30% of your total limit usually shows up within one or two statement cycles.
- Pay every account on time — one 30-day late can cost 60 points or more
- Keep total utilization under 30%, and under 10% if you can
- Leave old accounts open; length of history helps you
- Apply for new credit sparingly, since each hard inquiry costs a few points
