Stop worrying about your credit score

Here's what the credit industry doesn't advertise: stick to the foundations and your score takes care of itself. Pay on time. Keep balances low. That's 65% of the game. Everything else is fine print.

More cards aren't the enemy

This is the one people get backwards. A new card costs a few points from the hard inquiry — gone within a year. But it also raises your total credit limit, which lowers your utilization. A $5,000 balance against $15,000 in limits is 33%. Add a $10,000-limit card and the same balance is 20%. More cards, same spending, better score.

The danger was never the number of cards. It's the number of balances you carry. Ten cards paid in full every month beats two cards carrying balances. The score doesn't count your cards — it counts your habits.

The foundations (the only part that matters)

• Pay on time, every time (35%). One 30-day late payment can cost 100+ points. Autopay at least the minimum on everything, then pay the full balance yourself.
• Keep utilization low (30%). Under 30% is fine; under 10% is the target. The statement balance is what gets reported — time big purchases right after it closes, or pay down before it.

The rest takes care of itself: never close your oldest card (downgrade instead), space out applications, and let credit mix come naturally.

What doesn't hurt you

Checking your own score — never, that's a soft pull. Rate-shopping a mortgage inside two weeks counts as one inquiry. Your income isn't even on the report.