The post has been updated with the most recent credit card information.

A low credit score can have dire consequences. It can make it harder for you to get a home or auto loan.

No one is going to have a bad credit score forever. There are a number of things you can do to improve your score.

If you want to improve your credit score, this is the place to go.

Take inventory of your credit

To see what's dragging down your score, you need to check your free credit report. Make sure that everything is correct and that you don't see any errors.

FICO

Whatever you need to do to improve that area is what you should focus on. Setting up a system to make sure you pay your bills on time is what you'll want to focus on if you've had a lot of late payments. You can improve your credit score by doing this.

Check your credit score for free.

Make the most of your checking account

If you want to improve your credit score, you should go to your bank. Automatic minimum payments can be made on every account you have. Payment history is one of the most important factors in your credit score.

The best thing you can do for your credit score is not to make any mistakes. Budgeting tools are offered by many banks.

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Setting up autopay for your credit cards is related.

Keep credit use low

Your credit score is affected by how much credit you use. Aim to keep it as low as possible and try to keep it below 30%.

EXPERIAN

Paying down high account balances is a good way to adjust your credit utilization. You can ask your bank to increase your credit limit. Your credit score can be improved by either of these actions.

There is a reason why you should never decline a credit limit increase.

Earn credit for paying your bills and maintaining bank balances

If you don't have a good credit history, you can use a free service to add utility and telecom payments to your credit file.

UltraFICO is an option for people with a history of healthy bank balances. Checking and savings info is taken into account when calculating scores.

Become an authorized user

If you know a person who has a high credit limit, ask if they're willing to add you as an authorized user on their credit card. You don't have to give them the card to do this.

Your name is added to the account when you're an authorized user. Good credit will affect your credit score.

If you want to improve your credit score, this is the easiest thing to do.

Avoid canceling credit cards

Your credit score is influenced by the age of your credit lines. Credit lines should be kept open to increase your credit age.

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If you find that you can no longer justify the annual fee on your credit card, then you can switch to a card that doesn't have an annual fee.

If you have the Chase Reserve card, you can request to have it changed to the Chase Preferred card, which has a much lower annual fee, or to the Chase Freedom Flex card, which does not have an annual fee at all. You can increase your credit age and improve your credit score by doing this.

Should I stop using my credit cards?

How long does it take to improve my credit score?

A damaged credit report can take a long time to be fixed. After two missed payments, delinquents stay on your report for seven years. You can keep inquiries on your credit report for up to two years.

(Photo by i_frontier / Getty Images)

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Consistency is important since this takes some time. You will be on your way to having and keeping a better credit score if you implement as many of these tips as possible.

Bottom line

You are not alone if your credit score is bad. You can and should improve it.

You will be on your way to having a good credit score if you follow our recommendations for how to improve your credit score.

There are links to learn more about credit scores.

Benét J. Wilson reported additional information.