 TITLE: When Is a Credit File Created? CONTENT: How to Start Building Credit\n----------------------------\nIf you're not currently scoreable or you want to improve your score, you can take a few simple steps:\n*   **Open an account that will be reported to the credit bureaus.** Many people start with a student loan, as an authorized user on someone else's credit card, with a credit-builder loan or a secured credit card.\n*   **Make your payments on time.** Having your information in a bureau's credit file doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a good credit score. Your payment history is the most important factor in your credit scores, so make sure you make at least your minimum payments on time to avoid hurting your credit. This is also true of accounts that don't get reported to the credit bureaus, as your account could be sold to a collection agency that can report your nonpayment to the bureaus.\nThose are the two basic steps to start. As you learn more about how to build credit, you'll uncover how factors in addition to your payment history can impact your scores. END