 TITLE: Why Did My Credit Score Improve? CONTENT: You Are Managing Your Bills and Credit\n--------------------------------------\nScore improvements can also be a result of ongoing responsible credit management, like paying your bills on time and paying off your credit card balance in full each month. These two habits alone will ensure that payment history and credit utilization, the two most important scoring factors, always contribute positively to your score.\nLength of credit history also accounts for 15% of your FICO® Score. It's generally in your best interest to keep credit card accounts open, even if you're no longer using them, since past positive payment history will continue to benefit you. (You may decide to cancel a credit card, though, if it carries a pricey annual fee or you're tempted to use it to overspend.) A prolonged period of responsible credit behavior will lead to top-notch scores over time. END