 TITLE: 7 Surprising Things That Can Affect Your Credit CONTENT: 1\\. Utility Bills\n-----------------\nIf you're behind on your utility payments, you risk having your utilities turned off, and you may also get dinged on your credit score. It typically won't happen if you've missed just one payment, but if you're so far behind that the utility company has charged off your account or sent it to collections, that can show up on your credit report and get factored into your scores.\nBecause your payment history is the most important factor in your FICO® Score☉ , the score used most by lenders, it's crucial that you pay all of your bills on time, including utility bills.\nHistorically, on-time utility payments haven't been included in your FICO® Score, so the only way utility accounts could affect your credit was negatively. But with a service called Experian Boost™† , that's changed. This free tool allows you to connect the accounts you use to pay utility bills, phone bills and even some streaming services and use your positive payment history to increase your credit score. END