Stellar Snippets
Even if you aren't borrowing money, you can still be hurting your score. Here are 8 actions that can bring your score down.
1. Skip paying rent. It may not directly affect your score, but your landlord can report you to the bureaus or a collection agency.
2. Not paying medical bills. They may be high, but don't ignore them. They may report you to a bureau or agency.
3. Rack up back taxes. Taxes don't appear on your reports. But if you don't pay them, you could end up with high debt.
4. Miss utility payments. Utility companies can also report your missed payments to the bureau or collection agency.
5. Open a bank account. Some banks may pull a hard inquiry and that can pull your score down a few points.
6. Disregard traffic tickets. If you ignore the law, you could end up hurting your score. They could report it as debts.
7. Close unused credit cards. This could hurt your score as it is actually contributing to your existing credit history.
Missing a small payment or skipping paying dues may not seem like a big deal. However, it can lower your credit score.