10 Ways to Improve Your Credit Rating

8. Leave old debt on your report

This one sounds a little counter productive, but leaving paid up credit on your file is actually a good thing, and here’s why. When companies search through your credit file after applying for credit/loans/mortgages etc, they will be able to see from your old paid up credit how you treated that particular debt. Assuming that the old debts were all paid on time it allows companies to see that you are good at managing your credit, even historically, and that bodes well for your credit rating. Your old debts normally get wiped off after around 7 years anyway, so leave them on for the time being.