{"id":355676,"date":"2018-01-12T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/?p=355676"},"modified":"2019-08-16T13:36:59","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T19:36:59","slug":"is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"High<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like millions of Americans who are trying to build or repair their credit<\/a> in order to make a large purchase, you\u2019re probably wondering exactly how your credit score is calculated. Even if you\u2019re not looking to buy a house or car right now, it\u2019s always helpful to make sure your credit score is on the up-and-up, just in case. It\u2019s not just banks checking our credit anymore. Landlords, insurance companies, and even potential employers will want to know your credit score. This helps people determine how trustworthy you are when it comes to your fiscal responsibilities.<\/p>\n

A lot of factors are considered when calculating credit scores. Among them is length of credit history. This is how long you\u2019ve been building credit. You don\u2019t begin automatically when you\u2019re 18. Credit history begins to build as soon as you open your first account, such as a student loan or a credit card. So do you have to carry a balance on a credit card to have a high credit score<\/a>?<\/p>\n

No. This is a common myth, but it\u2019s just not true. Here are three better ways to raise your credit score:<\/p>\n

1. Pay off your credit card balances each month<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re just starting out, it can be tempting to run up a huge credit card bill, but hold off on that. Buy only what you need using money you already have. If you do put a few expenditures every month on a credit card, make sure you can pay them off by the time your next statement rolls around. Not only will this save you from going into debt, but it will give your credit score a nice boost.<\/p>\n

2. Become a signer on a parent\u2019s (or spouse\u2019s) long-standing account<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If your parent or spouse is willing, have them add you to one of their credit cards as an authorized signer. Because this may leave someone vulnerable, it can be a large ask. But having an account show up on your credit report with twenty years of good history can do wonders to raise a credit score. But be careful not to run up a large balance, as this may lower your score and the score of the person who opened the account.<\/p>\n

3. Always pay on time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Regardless of the bill you\u2019re paying, make it a priority to pay it on or before its due date. Not only will this save you from late fees, but it will help you avoid ever being sent to collections. And if you must carry a credit card balance for a short amount of time, make sure you always pay at least the minimum amount due, and pay it on time.<\/p>\n

So while a credit card balance itself isn\u2019t essential for a high credit score or credit repair<\/a>, having at least one credit card open in your name may help you build your credit. For more information on building or repairing credit, please visit www.creditrepair.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carry on the conversation on our social media platforms. Like and follow us on Facebook<\/a> and leave us a tweet on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re like millions of Americans who are trying to build or repair their credit in order to make a large purchase, you\u2019re probably wondering exactly how your credit score is calculated. Even if you\u2019re not looking to buy a house or car right now, it\u2019s always helpful to make sure your credit score is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[238,67,41],"yoast_head":"\nIs a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score? - CreditRepair.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019re like millions of Americans who are trying to build or repair their credit in order to make a large purchase, you\u2019re probably wondering exactly how your credit score is calculated. Even if you\u2019re not looking to buy a house or car right now, it\u2019s always helpful to make sure your credit score is […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CreditRepair.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-12T16:00:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-08-16T19:36:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kyle Murray\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"CreditRepair.com\",\"description\":\"We are the credit repair experts\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg\",\"width\":2024,\"height\":1355},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/\",\"name\":\"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score? - CreditRepair.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-12T16:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-08-16T19:36:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd031931823d36d04223459bb32abc0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd031931823d36d04223459bb32abc0\",\"name\":\"Kyle Murray\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/402911c938664d5e64bbc893bf6f49b7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/402911c938664d5e64bbc893bf6f49b7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kyle Murray\"},\"description\":\"Kyle Murray is the PR manager for CreditRepair.com. He oversees our relationships with some of the biggest bloggers and finance experts in the finance industry. He helps Creditrepair.com advocate for consumers with the help of national and local media outlets. Kyle is always looking for new ways to help CreditRepair.com tell their story and empower consumers.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/experts\/kyle-murray\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score? - CreditRepair.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score?","og_description":"If you\u2019re like millions of Americans who are trying to build or repair their credit in order to make a large purchase, you\u2019re probably wondering exactly how your credit score is calculated. Even if you\u2019re not looking to buy a house or car right now, it\u2019s always helpful to make sure your credit score is […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/","og_site_name":"CreditRepair.com","article_published_time":"2018-01-12T16:00:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-08-16T19:36:59+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kyle Murray","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/","name":"CreditRepair.com","description":"We are the credit repair experts","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Why-Credit-Score.jpg","width":2024,"height":1355},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/","name":"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score? - CreditRepair.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2018-01-12T16:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2019-08-16T19:36:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd031931823d36d04223459bb32abc0"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/credit-score\/is-a-credit-card-balance-essential-for-a-high-credit-score\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Is a Credit Card Balance Essential for a High Credit Score?"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd031931823d36d04223459bb32abc0","name":"Kyle Murray","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/402911c938664d5e64bbc893bf6f49b7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/402911c938664d5e64bbc893bf6f49b7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kyle Murray"},"description":"Kyle Murray is the PR manager for CreditRepair.com. He oversees our relationships with some of the biggest bloggers and finance experts in the finance industry. He helps Creditrepair.com advocate for consumers with the help of national and local media outlets. Kyle is always looking for new ways to help CreditRepair.com tell their story and empower consumers.","url":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/experts\/kyle-murray\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355676"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355676"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":357377,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355676\/revisions\/357377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creditrepair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}