 TITLE: Does Checking My Credit Lower My Score? CONTENT: Tips for Improving Your Credit\n------------------------------\nChecking your credit score regularly is essential if you're working on building or rebuilding your credit history. As you look for opportunities to improve your credit, here are some tips to help you get started:\n*   Get caught up on overdue payments, if applicable, and pay all of your debts on time every month going forward.\n*   Keep your credit card balances low—remember, the key is to keep your utilization rate below 30%, but the lower, the better. If you have high balances, focus on paying them down as quickly as possible.\n*   Consider asking a family member to add you as an authorized user on their credit card account. Before they submit the request, however, make sure the account has a positive history that can help improve your credit score.\n*   Avoid applying for new credit unless you need it.\n*   Get credit for paying your utility and phone bills—these payments typically don't get reported to the credit bureaus, but with Experian Boost™† , you can allow Experian to connect your bank accounts and use the data to identify utility and phone payments. Once you verify the accounts, they can be added to your Experian credit file and may help boost your credit score.\nAs you use these tips and other good credit practices, you'll be well on your way to a better credit score. END