Due Dates

• Creditors and lenders decide the due dates for your bills, and sending in a payment past this date can hurt your credit rating. Timeliness of payments makes up 35 percent of your credit score. Repairing credit calls for mailing payments early to avoid a late arrival, or paying your bills online to ensure payments are credited by the due date. Open statements when they arrive, and if possible, pay statements as soon as they arrive.
  
  

Outstanding Balances

• Start bringing down the balance on your credit cards and work to pay off installment loans early to help repair your credit. Getting credit signals an acceptable credit history, but to improve your credit or repair a low credit score, begin paying off debt. Like payment history, debt plays a major role in credit scoring (about 30 percent); and erasing or reducing your balances can quickly add points to your personal rating and helps repair your score.
  
  

Credit Reports

• Credit scores are based on the information included on your credit report. With this said, errors on your personal file and creditor inaccuracies can lower your score. A reduced rating due to errors can stop loan approvals or result in higher rates on loans. Detect mistakes early on and work to have these mistakes corrected. Get your credit report from Annual Credit Report, and contact creditors if you notice unfamiliar accounts or outdated information.
  
  

Asking for Assistance

• Work with your creditors to fix payment problems, instead of skipping or sending payments late. Creditors can extend the due date on your accounts, change the due date or offer a skip payment option to assist you during hardships. This method allows you miss a payment without penalties, such as late fees. Contact creditors early on to explain your situation and to inquire about different provisions.