By Saundra Latham

Real Money Keeps Scores
Real Money Keeps Score

When a business owes you money but can’t send it to you, they may turn it over to the state. Each state holds onto that money and keeps a detailed list of who it belongs to. If some of it’s yours, you can file a claim to get it back into your pocket. Credit can seems like a mystery, but if you learn how to play the game you can save thousands of dollars and save yourself so much frustration. See your free credit scores, reports and personalized tips and tools to help you achieve your financial goals. Join over 100 million members making financial progress. You should aim to keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%, and for the best scores, below 10%. So, if your total credit limit is $10,000, keep your balances below $3,000 at all times to help keep your score in good shape. One of Your Credit Limits Decreased.

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Plastic Pitfalls

Real Money Keeps Scores

There are plenty of myths about what can damage your credit score, so let's get back to basics: What behaviors can have the biggest effect on that all-important number? Some, like declaring bankruptcy, are obvious. Others may not be — for instance, a seemingly responsible move like turning down a credit increase may actually hurt your score, and leave you scrambling for ways to fix it. Here's a refresher on 16 things to avoid if you want to keep your credit pristine.

Related:14 Ways to Improve a Bad Credit Score

Real Money Keeps Score

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