Some people get very nervous when they hear the term credit improvement or credit repair. They envision vast lifestyle changes at the very least. But there are many things you can do for your credit that won’t take a lot of time and energy and that won’t mean any huge changes to your style of living. Here are the top four.

1. Get your free annual credit report every year and check for mistakes.

By law, you are entitled to one free credit report a year from each credit bureau: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Make a note on your calendar to order this free report once a year. When it arrives, look it over. If it contains incorrect information, such as a debt you do not believe you are responsible for, write to the credit bureau immediately. Catching mistakes on your credit report early is a good way to ensure that they do not snowball into huge credit problems.

2. Use your credit wisely.

Some people become so anxious about debt and bad credit scores that they stop using their credit at all. Although this behavior seems financially wise, it can actually hurt your credit score, which is based on how responsibly you handle your finances. If you don’t have any debt to handle, your score drops. Instead of cutting up your credit cards, you can achieve credit improvement by making one or two purchases on credit each month. Pay them off promptly when the bill comes in. Within a few months, you’ll go from a credit enigma to someone with a solid history of paying bills on time, and your FICO score will rise accordingly.

3. Make payments to creditors on time.

Many people miss payment dates by days or even weeks. Often, these people are not in financial difficulty, they’re simply overwhelmed and forgetful. Unfortunately, their FICO takes a hit regardless. Try to set aside one day a week when you pay any bills that arrive at your house. If you don’t have time for that, consider having the money withdrawn directly from your bank account to cover the credit card statements. When your reliability increases, so does your credit score.

4. Pay Down Some of Your Balances

If you have used your credit cards or other credit sources a little too much and have developed a high debt-to-income ratio, getting new credit may prove difficult for a time. Take some time to pay down the higher balances on your credit cards – sometimes adding just a few dollars a month to the minimum monthly payment is enough to improve your credit rating.
Raising your FICO score does not need to be a life-consuming process. A few simple alterations in your spending habits are often enough to earn you the credit score you need for larger purchases like cars and mortgages.