A credit score is a number that creditors look at to determine your viability to get credit. A bad credit score can keep you from financing your kid's education, or from buying a new home. Therefore, it's very important to build a good credit history. Her are five innovative ways for building-up your credit score. With the mortgage crisis still lingering in the midst, and with interest rates continuing to soar, many are thinking of better ways for keeping their finances afloat during these dark economic times. Here are five surefire tips for keeping your credit afloat during a crisis. Keep Your Credit Score High One of the best defenses during a crippling economic crisis is by keeping your credit score high. Mounting Utility Bills Paint a Bad Credit History While late payments on utility, cable TV and telephone bills are not often reported to credit agencies, a number of US states actually report these types of delinquencies to collections agencies. However, for those who pay their utility bills on time, this practice may actually do a lof of help in enhancing their credit rating. 5 Ways To Repair Your Credit Card Debt A credit card is a small plastic, rectangle-sized card which has a magnetic strip that s connected to a credit account, and allows the owner to buy various goods and services. While owning a credit card offers its benefits, the sad thing is that if you don t use a credit card responsibly, you could face a soaring mountain of debt, which can help to taint, or entirely mangle, your credit score. Always make sure that you maintain a balanced proportion of used credit to available credit. The higher you credit balance goes, the more damage it will do to your credit score. Pay All Your Bills On Time According to credit experts, an estimated 35% of your credit score is based on payment history. By consistently paying your bills on time, whether they are credit cards or utility bills, insurance premiums, parking tickets and even library fines, your credit score will be further enhanced. How Too Many Inquiries Can Damage Your Credit Score Each time someones looks at your credit report, an inquiry is often noted. However, if a lot of inquiries are made, you could appear to be shopping or looking around for different loans at once. This may also indicate that you've been rejected by a number of creditors, which could make you appear as a poor credit risk.