 TITLE: How to Improve Your Payment History CONTENT: The following tactics can help you maintain a solid payment history, or start rehabbing one that's a little spotty:\n*   **Pay on time.** This may seem obvious, but the key to a solid payment history is paying your bills on time, every month, without fail. Late payments in your past can't be taken back, but their effect will diminish with time, so if you move ahead without new missteps, your credit scores and standing will tend to improve.\n*   **Dispute misreported payments**. If you made late payments in the past, you just have to live with the consequences—but if you believe your credit reports mistakenly list on-time payments as missed or late, you should consider contacting your lender or going through the credit report dispute process. You may have to furnish the credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion or Equifax) with evidence of the inaccuracy.\n*   **Avoid underpayment.** Late payments are the biggest potential blemish in your payment history, but payments that fall short of the required amount could also mar your credit history. It is better to pay something every month if you can't make a full payment, but underpaying does damage too. If you have trouble making your credit card payments, avoid using those cards and focus on paying down your balances, at least until the required minimum payment is within reach. On installment loans such as mortgages, car loans and student loans, if you're having trouble making your full payment, consider reaching out to your lender—ideally before you send in an underpayment—to see if you can work out new terms that lower your monthly obligation. If the lender approves a new financing arrangement, you'll likely pay more in interest over the life of the loan, but that could be a good trade-off for preserving your payment history.\n*   **Establish a bill-paying routine.** If you have trouble remembering to pay your bills each month, scheduling a regular day for all your bill payments can be helpful. Pick a time and day that works for you—the last Sunday of the month, for bills due in the month ahead, for example—and put it on your calendar.\n*   **Let technology help.** Most financial institutions let you schedule automated electronic bill payments (autopay), which is a great tool for avoiding late payments. Other tech tools that can help you avoid late payments are digital calendar reminders, alert features found in many credit card issuers' smartphone apps, and even virtual sticky notes. Any tech you're comfortable with that stops you from forgetting a payment is a win for your finances and your credit. END