Even if you’ve done everything to keep your debts at a minimum, and your monthly commitments fulfilled, you may be wondering why your credit score is still in the same sorry state you started with. Well, you might be doing it with the wrong approach.

To say that your credit score is volatile is not an overstatement; it is determined after due consideration of your current credit report, and it can sport trifle or dramatic changes every time it is updated. Try to follow these tips to raise your credit score to pleasant, if not exceptional levels.

Ensure that your credit report is accurate in the first place. If you find any inconsistencies, report it immediately to the credit monitoring bureau; this simple move may go a long way in improving your credit score. But spare your credit report inquiries unless you really need the report; you can lower your score with frequent requests. Next, keep your bills manageable, and as much as possible, try to pay them on time. Any late payments will reflect on your credit report, and will consequently hurt your score. Try to keep your on-time payments on a long, consistent streak, as it can help boost your credit score once you get it running. If, on the other hand, you are finding it difficult to meet your commitments, honesty is still the best recourse. Inform your creditor about your dilemma, or consult a credit counselor. This won’t necessarily improve your credit score, but once you learn how to manage your credit, and keep up with commitments, your score will follow suit and get better.

Think twice before attempting to cancel all of your old and unused credit cards. You may be doing the exact opposite if you think that closing credit card accounts will downsize your potential credit. Creditors still consider your debt-to-credit ratio when assessing your loan applications, and moving to fewer credit cards without reducing your available debt means that you’re going with less credit for the same debt; this results in an unpleasant figure, once these are factored into your credit score calculations. At least wait for your debts to become more manageable before closing your old credit card accounts; otherwise it is a good idea to stick to them, at least for the meantime. Besides, creditors also consider the average age of your credit accounts, and keeping one which you’ve stuck with for all these years may finally amount to something, even if you’re no longer using it.

Keep your current credit card balances low, 75 percent of your available credit, tops. If you can, try to lower it to as much as 25 percent. Creditors view maxed out cards as a last-ditch attempt to take advantage of all available credit, and is definitely not a good sign of financial security. Every time your charges go anywhere near your allowable limit, your credit score takes a substantial dive. And finally, try to pay off more than the minimum amount on your credit card bills; you won’t have to deal with penalties and additional interest rates in consequence. Even if your credit is not stellar to begin with, you can gradually build it up to excellent levels, taking your credit score along for the ride.