A good credit score matters when you’re about to try to get a particular loan, such as for a car or a house. A small difference in your interest rate will add up through the years, making it very worthwhile to get your credit score in shape before applying for anything. These are some things to consider at such times:

1. Don’t apply for other credit.

Each time you apply for credit, it can impact your credit score. And if you’re getting more credit cards, that’s an impact too.

2. Beward of closing out credit accounts.

A lot of people like to consolidate all their debts onto one card, and close the remaining accounts. This is a bad idea because you lose out on your credit history from those closed accounts if it’s positive. Painful as it may be to not use an open account, keep it open.

3. Pay all bills on time.

You might be surprised at what can get reported to the credit bureaus. It’s easier than ever to pay bills on time, with all the online and automatic payment options out there. Take advantage of these, and keep track of everything that you still need to send a check in for or that you need to long on for to pay.

4. Pay down your credit cards.

Companies like to see you using less than 30% of your available credit line. Don’t think that opening new accounts to increase your overall credit line is a good idea, however. It’s better to pay down your existing accounts than to open ones you don’t need.

5. Talk to creditors when you’re having problems.

Or not having problems. If you just want a lower interest rate, call and ask for one. It can happen.

But if you are having problems, call and ask them to help you. If you can even send in a partial payment and make it clear that you will keep paying, they can be lenient.

6. Check your credit report with all 3 bureaus.

You might be surprised at the mistakes that can sneak onto a credit report. If you’re going for a big purchase, you want this information to be as accurate as possible and you need time for incorrect negative information to be removed.

This means don’t leave it for a week before you want to start applying. Start a couple months out so that you have time to gather your information and so there is time for the information to be removed.

It really is necessary to check with all three. They can have very different information.