 TITLE: Can I Have a Good Credit Report but a Bad Credit Score? CONTENT: How Do I Know if My Credit Report Is Hurting My Scores?\n-------------------------------------------------------\nThere are a few types of credit reports that might look good to you on first glance, but actually often translate into poor scores.\n*   **The good . . . and the bad.** The first type of report lists some perfectly managed accounts—but also some negative activity, like late payments, collection accounts and credit card balances that are close to the credit limit. These negative line items can overshadow the positive ones, sinking your scores.\n*   **Inaccurate reports.** Undiscovered mistakes or fraudulent activity may also be in your credit file, hurting your scores. Pull your credit reports on a regular basis to check that all the information is correct. This way you won't be blindsided by scores that are at the bottom of the scale when they should be at the top.\n    If you find fraudulent activity in your report, dispute it with the credit bureaus and consider putting a security freeze on your file if the activity is recent or prevalent. Once the negative information is removed from your report, your scores should see a bump.\n*   **Not enough credit activity.** The other type of surprising bad credit report is the one without enough information in it, also known as a \"thin\" credit file. While you may think your credit is stellar because you only have one credit card and manage it responsibly, having just one account in your credit file is actually a negative to lenders considering you for credit.\nYour credit scores will also be low if the only credit accounts you have are very new. Building an impressive credit history takes time and a wealth of information. END