How To Improve Your Score
by David B. Leidy

Rule 1 - Keep balances low on credit cards.
To maintain or get a higher score, don't even come close to "maxing out" on your cards. It's statistically better to have smaller balances on more cards than high balances relative to your credit limits on just a few cards.

Rule 2 - Pay everything on time.
Perhaps more obvious, it's important to pay everything on time, in the amounts agreed upon. That's the single most important factor in your score, but it's not something you can fix overnight.

Rule 3 - Check your credit report periodically.
Order copies of your credit reports periodically or before you apply for new credit. Dispute any information you find that is incorrect. All "derogatory" information drags down your score. If it's wrong, get it deleted by contacting the creditor responsible. Improvements in a credit score can come when erroneous data is eliminated from your file.