A credit score is either a blessing or a curse cast down upon you from the digital cloud. A score of 740 qualifies you for the best interest rate on a conventional mortgage. A score under 640 means ugly interest, and a number under 620 makes it very hard to get a mortgage at all.

If you have been using credit irresponsibly and finally decided to do something about it, you can start by getting a few secured credit cards to rebuild your credit history.

Writing a quality credit dispute letter will help you get the results you want to improve your credit score. There are many samples available on the Internet, but you have to ensure that they contain certain elements before you copy and use them. Here are some qualities of a successful credit dispute letter and advice on including them in yours.

It’s very common for credit reports to contain errors. Anything from inaccurate late payments to accounts that aren’t yours or maybe even a falsely reported bankruptcy could mistakenly end up on your credit report. Because so many businesses use your credit report to make decisions about you. It’s important that your credit report is accurate.

Watch out delinquent parents, your credit history can be checked by agencies that enforce child support payments. While the inquiry itself will not count on your credit report, failing to make your court-ordered child support payment can.