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​If you are planning to buy a home in the near future and will be applying for a loan there are some things to prepare for ahead of time.  One of those things is working to improve your credit.  Why is that important?  Well, a lender usually requires a credit report to check if you are someone with a good history of paying bills on time or if you have a lot of debt.  Your loan could be approved or denied based on your credit report, so we can see it’s an important issue.  How, then, can you improve your credit report?
 
Do you have multiple credit cards?  Perhaps you have some you no longer use.  If this is the case, it’s a good idea to call the company and cancel the card.  Having a lot of open credit card accounts can give a lender the idea that you allow yourself too much available credit which might put you in economic danger.  It’s a good idea to hold on to your older credit cards, though, because this shows a longer history of credit. 
 
Never miss credit card payments.  You do not want late payments to be noted on your credit report and, you will avoid the fees that go with it.  If you have difficulty remembering to pay, why not set up an automatic payment plan that will at least cover the minimum amount due.
 
Did you know you are entitled to a free copy of your credit every 12 months?  Take advantage of this so that you can see your credit report before a lender does.  This way you can be prepared in advance.  At times, the report might contain an error, if you have seen the report, you can fix the error before applying for the loan.
 
We know what a big decision buying a home is and you want to give yourself the best chance to be approved for a loan.  Working to improve your credit report will help.