http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clar...t-score/nTWGX/

a quick blurb, but around 45% (15+30) has to do with number of lines, utilation rate, and open accounts vs closed.......i think you could raise your score pretty drastically by just having more accounts, higher limits and keepingyour utilaztion rate at zero like it is now.......just use them every few months and pay them off.

ill try to find a link about the secured aspect

Man I shudder to think about paying 24% interest on credit cards with 3k on them

im not 100% but i heard a similar call on a radio show i listened to and the host said even if you dont need it, secured loans are huge on your credit score....but yes i think 7 or 5...trying to cite it now

Oh, like a year ago my credit was like 699 then it dropped to mid 600's and I haven't done a damn thing

I think a buddy of mine has a 800 score; he's debt free etc; he just uses 3 cards; and rotates them each month in terms of what he buys, then pays off.

he'll use card A for a month for food, gas, etc. then card B for the same thing etc.

I'm sure there are other things he does to improve it, but it seems like that helps significantly.

try to find some with no fees - like credit union or open another savings at another local bank etc...

also if you shop at home depot or something...even dept store cards will work...

you just need something you can use once in a while

Mine jumped from the low 600s into the low 700s because I paid off about half of my debt. I still have 2 cards left to pay off and the student loans that are hanging over my head.

That sounds good right there.. I am not above doing this...

I heard paying the cards off is ok but don't close the account or it will actually hurt your score

There are tons of credit cards out there with no annual fee. Get a couple from different companies, buy some stuff and pay off the balance. It will raise your score.

http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/

The wife and I are friends with a younger couple who did precisely this after going through a bankruptcy. It apparently works.

I have thought about a Lowes card to buy something then pay it off.. That will probably work

Yep. Although I did close one of my credit cards because they refused to increase my limit and lower my interest rate even though I've been with them for 7 years.

Absolutely no need to carry a balance/pay interest. It won't necessarily hurt you, but it would be crazy to do so for the purpose of trying to raise your score.

True.