Maintaining your credit worthiness
The following steps are recommended:
- Pay your bills on time
- Call your credit provider(s) in a timely manner and alert them if there is a problem meeting your commitments
- Review your credit file to make sure there are no errors in the information and/or discover any overdue accounts that have been forgotten about
- Monitor your credit file to ensure someone is not fraudulently using your identity (a growing problem worldwide)
- A "no" to a credit application, or the supply of goods and services where payment is deferred, does not necessarily mean your credit file is flawed. Credit providers each have their own lending criteria, so seek an explanation
- Remember that the details on overdue accounts or collections, even when paid, remain on your file for five years from the date of default, as part of your credit history
- An overdue account is usually an account where payment has been overdue for a minimum of 30 days.