 TITLE: 6 Things You Should Do If You’ve Been Denied Credit CONTENT: 4\\. Address Credit Concerns\n---------------------------\nUsing your adverse action letter and credit report as your guide, start taking action to improve your credit. Ideas include:\n*   Get caught up on past-due payments or pay off collection or charge-off accounts.\n*   Make it a goal to always pay your bills on time going forward.\n*   Pay down high credit card balances and avoid replacing them with new credit card debt.\n*   Dispute inaccurate or fraudulent information you find on your credit report with the credit reporting agencies.\n*   Avoid closing old credit card accounts.\n*   Avoid applying for new credit until you know you have a good chance of getting approved.\nYou may also consider looking for other ways to build your credit. For example, if you have a family member with excellent credit and a credit card, you may ask them to add you as an authorized user on the account. Once your authorized-user status is reported to the credit bureaus, the entire history of the account will show up on your credit report, which could improve your score. A secured credit card or a credit-builder loan might also work well for you.\nYou can also use Experian Boost™† , which gives you credit for positive payment history with utility, phone, Netflix® and other accounts to help increase your score. To use the tool, you'll link your bank accounts and verify payments you'd like to include, which can help boost your credit score instantly. END