Keep Your Credit Card Debt Ratio To Manageable Levels Always remember to keep your credit card balance paid off on a monthly basis. Also keep your card at a maximum charge level of 30 percent, and pay them off at the end of the month. By keeping your card s charge levels low and manageable, you re actually showing restraint and responsibility, and you re keeping your credit score high as well. Here are five ways to hurt your credit score. Late Credit Card Payments and Large Balances Late credit card payments not only burden you with additional surcharges and fees, but it can also put a black eye on your credit history. According to credit report experts, poor payment history accounts for 35% of your total credit score, and even a single late payment can quikcly chop-off 100 points from your score. Balance Your Credit Card Spending Regardless of whether you have one, two or three credit cards, remember to spend wisely and balance your credit card obligations. If you don't have the money to pay an existing credit card balance at the moment, try getting a loan from a family member or relative, so that your debts can be wiped off from your card, and your credit score also gets a helpful boost. Collect All The Require Information Before getting a free credit report, first obtain all your account numbers and loan statements, since the credit reporting bureaus may ask that you provide the account numbers and payment amounts, to validate your identity. A credit score is often generated by tracking data from a person s credit report, into software which analyzes it, and releases a number afterwards. If you have been making on-time payments to suppliers and creditors, this should be fully reflected in your profile. Company Profile When evaluating your company profile, verify the details for accuracy, such as business name and length of doing business, address, telephone number and industry type. As most of the data here is self-reported, the business owner must always make sure that the data filled in is accurate and updated. You ll also be able to immediately notice if ever there are any inconsistencies, inaccuracies or flaws within your report. By immediately finding out any numerical or typographical errors, this allows you to quickly file disputes to correct any inaccuracies. Aside from alerting you of any fraudulent activity or inconsistencies, a credit monitoring service can also help you effectively manage your credit.