From getting approved for loans to receiving better interest rates to finding a place to live, the benefits of a good credit score are tremendous. If you’re struggling with a less than perfect credit, here’s how to give it a quick boost.

Pay Off Your Bills on Time

Your payment history has the most weight in your credit score calculations. Paying your credit cards, loans, and even utility bills on time demonstrates that you are a responsible borrower and thus wouldn’t default on your loan payments.

If you’re having difficulty remembering different due dates, consider enrolling in auto-payment schemes. Aside from ensuring that you don’t miss a deadline, you’ll be able to free up so much time not having to pay each month manually.

Do Not Max Out Your Credit Limit

Another component of your credit score is credit utilization, or how you use the credit given to you. Your credit utilization rate only applies to your credit cards and lines of credit. Ideally, you should keep your balances below 30% of your credit limit. Some lenders view charging a lot of your purchases on your credit card as a red flag that you are overextended.

Have Different Kinds of Credit

Avoiding using credit altogether or just having one type of credit may not build your credit score, even if you always meet your repayments on time. Lenders want to see that you can handle different types of credit responsibly. For example, if you only have a student loan now on top of your bills, consider opening a credit card and using it responsibly.

Be Smart When Refinancing

If finances are tight, you might want to refinance some assets to lower your monthly payments. This allows you to make your monthly payments on time and avoid carrying balances. Refinancing also makes sense if you’re eligible for lower interest rates that could save you money over the long haul. Keep in mind that with refinancing, you might end up paying more in the long run. It’s also possible that you’ll owe more than what your car is worth.

There are ways to avoid getting a huge hit on your credit score when refinancing your car. RateGenius has posted a great article about this topic, so you might want to check them out.