Did you know you have not one credit score, but three main credit scores? And here’s another surprise: Credit scores are not just strictly about finance anymore! They actually affect much more in your life. For example, many auto and homeowners insurance companies will consider your credit score when calculating what you pay in premiums, according to Consumer Reports.

That said, scoring above 700 on the FICO scale is like getting a B+ in school. Getting a FICO score of between 760 and 850 is like being a straight A student! People who have that kind of score are highly sought after by lenders because they know someone with a high score is likely to repay their debts on time as agreed.

On the other hand, having financial issues such as late payments, bankruptcy filings or collection accounts can make it difficult to keep your score healthy. But don’t worry if that describes you. It’s still possible to get your credit back on a healthy path.

Here are the three ways you can raise your credit score:

1. Pay every bill on time each month. This is the number one factor that helps or hurts your credit score, and it alone accounts for 35% of your credit score in the FICO scoring model.
2. Don’t use too much of your available credit. Keep your credit utilization rate at or below 30% of your available credit. This accounts for another 30% of your overall credit score. Here’s a real life example: Let’s say you have two credit cards with a total credit line of $10,000 between them. Aim to use less than $3,000 of that credit — which is 30% of your total credit line in this example. It doesn’t matter whether you only have $500 on one and $2,500 on the other, or whether you have a zero balance on one and $3,000 charged up on another. What matters is the total amount of your available credit you use.

3. Avoid closing a credit account when you pay it off in full. You’ve got to keep your lines of credit active. That can be a dollar store purchase once every six months that you pay off immediately. Showing responsible management of credit over time accounts for 15% of your overall credit score.

So taken together, these three factors alone account for a full 80% of your credit scores. They are by far the most important factors to consider when you want good credit. The rest of what makes up your credit scores is about what types of credit — such as car loan, mortgage, store credit cards, etc. — make up your credit mix (10%); and how quickly you take on new credit in your life (10%).

The three main credit scoring bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They all have their own proprietary scores on you. Each is a three digit number that reflects how well you handle financial obligations in your life.

But while there are a lot of different credit scores out there, your true credit score is a number between 350 and 850 that evaluates your risk as a borrower. A software company in the financial services industry called FICO is the best source for your credit score — known simply as your FICO score.

If you’re worried about your credit score because of past debt or bankruptcy—don’t worry! Visit CESI Solutions online or contact us today to get back on the right track!

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This article was syndicated and originally appeared on the CESI Debt Solutions website.