These movements can leave a mark in your credit score

Many people do not know what makes their credit ratings go up and down.

That's what can be learned from a new poll from the Consumer Federation of America and VantageScore Solutions, which found that consumers' credit score knowledge was at a very low ebb and flow. level of the last eight years.

"Consumers know less about credit ratings, but think they know more," said Stephen Brobeck, senior fellow of the Consumer Federation of America.

The standard advice for a healthy credit score is to avoid paying your bills late or letting your balances become too high. Other experts – some seemingly positive – may actually reduce your score, according to experts.

It looks like you're doing something right: an old unpaid bill is coming back and you're paying for some of it.

However, these debts are sometimes so old that they are not legally enforceable, said Katherine Lucas McKay, who focuses on consumer debt at the Aspen Institute.

Once the debt collector has recorded your active payments, it is legal to treat the debt as new in many states, said Lucas McKay.

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Often the easiest thing to do, she said, is to pay off the balance in full. "Your score will start to increase once this file is closed," she said.

If you think the collection agency is acting inappropriately, file a public complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. For debt collectors, she said, it is often easier to simply solve the problem "than to let their regulator look into the situation."

Ten percent of your score relates to the variety of your debts, said Matt Schulz, credit expert at CompareCards.com.

"If you had a car loan, a personal loan, a credit card and a mortgage loan and you managed them all correctly, you will probably get a higher score than the one who just had a credit card. said Schulz.

Indeed, lenders have more data points to make their decisions.

You should not get a loan that you do not want or need to simply increase your score, he said, but "it's worth considering in some circumstances." ".

After paying a credit card, you can close the line of credit.

Do not forget that this will lower your overall credit limit and, as a result, will increase your usage rate – the amount of credit you use compared to what is available to you.

"Some FICO data reveal that people with credit scores above 800 typically maintain a solvency ratio of less than 10 percent," said Bruce McClary, vice president of communications at the National Foundation of Credit Counseling.

To make up for the smaller credit limit, you need to have a strategy to reduce the remaining balances as quickly as possible and to reduce the utilization rate to an acceptable range, McClary said.

Also: Do ​​not rush to open several new cards at once. This could reduce your score.

Errors on your credit report can result in your score, said Schulz. "It's absolutely essential to review your credit report at least once a year to make sure it's accurate," he said.

If you encounter a potential problem – that it is a reporting problem or a sign of identity theft or fraud, notify the credit worthiness company as soon as possible. "The resolution process will probably be neither quick nor simple," Schulz warned. "But it's worth it.

"You should never let another person's mistake damage your finances."

Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are the three major companies that generate credit reports for consumers. According to the Federal Trade Commission, you are entitled to a free report from each of the three companies each year.

You can also freeze your credit at these agencies for free against identity theft and other types of fraud.A flawless stay