Credit is very fickle – there’s plenty you can do to bring it down, but sometimes all the elbow grease in the world won’t bring it up. Not to mention, of course, that it is one great big mystery as to how it works. From being on the inside for a while, I have managed to learn a few tricks.

Credit checks hurt!

When you apply for a credit card, they do a credit check. When you apply for a loan, they do a credit check. You can sign up with a company to check your own credit. Certain kinds of checks are harmless, but most credit checks actually detriment your credit score, sometimes upwards of 20 points.

Make sure you read the fine print and ask directly if their check will hurt your score. If they don’t know, don’t do it if you’re not willing to sacrifice the points. If they say it won’t, get it in writing so that you have some form of recourse if it does.

Too much credit

If you have more than two credit cards, you might want to consider clipping some of them. Anything that is not an investment is a negative to your credit score – that includes credit cards and cars. Especially if you have more than a reasonable amount, which the lender determines, but "reasonable" is generally two credit cards and one car.

Know your future financial situation

If your income is inherently unstable, but you want to build credit, try secured credit. A few years ago, I used $1,500 from my tax return and got myself a secured loan for $1,000 plus a $500 secured credit card.

I used the card minimally, since the key is to use it monthly and pay it all off. Then as soon as my situation became unstable, I closed both accounts and came out with the cash in hand to help me through the instability. Not to mention a nice boost to my credit score.

If you have more tips on credit scoring, I would love to hear them!