How to get good credit? That is the question we all want the answer to. It is so important to have good credit. Everything in your life depends on it. From insurance to employment to housing to borrowing money, without good credit you pay more or in some cases cannot get what you are looking for. We all know the pitfalls of bad credit, so how do we avoid that. How to get good credit is what we will discuss here.

What is good credit? It is when your debt ratios, payment history, and loan balances meet a lender's qualifications. How to get good credit can be answered by making your payments on time, all of the time. That is first and foremost. Every time you make an on time payment, it improves your credit score. The longer the history of on time payments, the better your score and the easier it will be to get other loans. You get good credit by being responsible. The number one rule of good credit is on time payments.

How to get good credit can be answered in another way. Lower balances. If you keep your credit cards at their maximum, even if you make the minimum payment on time every month, you are hurting your credit score. You need to have as low a balance on those cards as possible. Pay them off as quickly as you can, and only charge what you can pay off in full every month. If you have a $1,000.00 limit on your credit card, and you pay off that $1,000.00 every month on time, your credit will be better than if you charge the same $1, 000.00 and only make the minimum payment, and keep the balance at its maximum. So another way to get good credit is to keep your credit card balances paid off every month, or keep them as low as possible. Never max out the credit cards.

Another way to get good credit is to keep your debt ratios in check. You debt ratio is the amount of debt compared to your income. The percentage of your debt to your income should be kept as low as possible. Your income is a finite amount. You can only have so many payments and then you have spent it all. You need to keep your monthly payments low. The idea is to hold on to what you earn, not spend it all every month on housing, credit cards, and cars. This is how you get good credit.

Watch what you spend, and be sure to save something every month. Another way to get good credit is to have bank accounts. You should at the very least have a checking and savings account. As your income increases, try to change that basic checking account into one that will pay you interest. A money market account is great if you can meet the balance minimums. You may also want to open a CD in addition to a savings account. The interest rates are higher and it prevents you from tapping into those funds. Keep in mind; it is always easier to get a loan when you can show you really don't need the money. In your quest for good credit, having accounts that pay interest helps. If your loan application asks if you have a checking or savings account, you can be sure they will look into your answers.

So, we have discussed ways to get good credit. It is now up to you to put a plan into action to improve the credit you have. Do everything you can to pay off those credit cards; this will help you more than anything else. Make all of your payments on time, all of the time. Finally, when looking into how to get good credit, remember setting a budget and sticking to it will help tremendously.