 TITLE: How to Get Credit for the First Time CONTENT: Always Make Payments on Time\n----------------------------\nOnce you have a credit card, make sure to pay your bill on time every month. Your payment history is the single most important factor in your credit score, accounting for 35% of your FICO® Score☉ (the credit scoring model most lenders use).\nKeeping your credit utilization ratio low is another way to build good credit. This ratio refers to the percentage of your available credit you're using. If your credit card has a limit of $200 and you're carrying a balance of $100, you're using 50% of your available credit. Maintaining a credit utilization ratio below 30% of your credit limit (or better yet, below 10%) will help to boost your credit score. Paying your balance in full each month helps too—and will also prevent you from accruing interest on your purchases.\nDo you have any outstanding student loans? Paying those bills on time can help improve your credit score. Student loans are installment credit, while credit cards are revolving credit. Having a mix of both types of credit helps to increase your credit score. Finally, if you pay your own cellphone bills or utility bills, consider signing up for Experian Boost™† , a free service that adds on-time payments for those services and more to your credit report, potentially helping improve your FICO® Score. END