 TITLE: 5 Ways to Break Bad Credit Habits CONTENT: Build a Positive Payment History\n--------------------------------\nYour payment history is the most important factor in your credit score, so even one missed payment can drop your score significantly. What's more, late payments remain on your credit report for seven years.\nThe more missed payments you have and the longer you leave them unpaid, the further your credit score will drop, making it even more difficult to get back on track.\nThe good news is that late payments aren't reported to the credit bureaus until 30 days after they're due. So if you have some recent missed payments, try to get caught up as quickly as possible. You might still face penalties from your lender, but taking care of late payments before the 30-day mark will save you from credit score harm.\nAs you work to start making all your payments on time, you'll also want to try to get current on accounts where you're behind. This will help stop those negative marks from damaging your credit even more and can help you stay motivated to be on time moving forward.\nOne way to help ensure that you always pay on time is to set up automatic payments on your accounts. Just be sure to set them on a date when you know you'll have enough cash in your bank account to cover them. Otherwise, you may be slapped with a returned payment fee.\nIf you can, try to pay more than the minimum amount due on your debts, especially your credit card accounts. Paying in full is ideal with credit cards because it keeps you from getting charged interest and helps your credit score. END