 TITLE: How Do Credit Cards Affect Your Credit Score? CONTENT: How Using Your Credit Card Can Affect Your Score\n------------------------------------------------\nHow you use and manage your credit card accounts has a significant effect on your credit score. From how much you spend on your card to how you handle payments, you can do much to help—or hurt—your credit.\nMaking all your credit card payments on time every month will go a long way toward helping improve your credit score. Credit scoring models weigh payment history more heavily than any other scoring factor—it accounts for 35% of your FICO® Score. Making at least the minimum payment by the due date every month on your credit cards will help your credit score over time. But even one late payment made more than 30 days past the account's due date can have a serious negative impact on your credit score.\nTo make sure you never miss a payment, set up autopay on your credit card accounts and have enough money in your checking account to cover the payment every month.\nWhile it's ideal to pay off your credit card balance each month to avoid interest charges, that might not always be possible. If you can't pay off your card each month, try to at least keep your credit utilization rate under 30% across your credit card accounts. Maxing out your credit cards not only hurts your credit utilization, but can make keeping up with payments difficult, especially with interest charges adding up. END