Lately, there has been a lot of focus on getting and keeping a good credit score. Here are a few things NOT to do if you want to maintain your good credit.

• Make your payments late - Even one 30 day late payment can significantly reduce your credit score. Send in at least the minimum payment when you receive your credit card bill in order to avoid late payments. You can always make another payment during your billing cycle.
• Maxing out your cards - When you use more than 50% of the available credit on any one card, that tags you as a credit risk. You should strive to not carry a balance at all but if you do, make it less than 50% of your credit limit.
• Too many cards - While you do want to leave open the card with the longest history, there is no need to keep open every card you ever got. Take a look in your wallet and try to pare down to no more than three cards.
• Ignoring bills - If you have bills go into collections, that is a serious black mark on your credit. Whether it’s a $25 cell phone bill from college or an old store card with a $100 balance, be sure to pay all bills! If you think you’ve been billed incorrectly, call the creditor but don’t ignore it.