Credit Tips for 2026

Maintaining good credit shouldn’t be too difficult once you know the rules. Step into 2026 with the knowledge you need to gain the edge you want. However before you do so, it’s essential that you’ve fought off all your holiday related debt so that you can look towards boosting your credit score. The last thing you want to do is to try a fresh start while still holding onto old baggage.

Maintaining $0 Balances

Paying off your credit card balances early and on time can do wonders for your credit. If you a maintain a $0 balance on your credit card cards not only will you have the added benefit of having a low utilization rate and maximizing the 30% impact that will have to your credit score, but you will also be able to avoid interest payments altogether. It’s a good credit practice to maintain. You should also be actively using your credit cards but that doesn’t mean you need to keep a balance accrued on them. Those consumers with the best credit are typically those that do not carry revolving debt and pay off their statement balance at the end of each month.

Self-Reporting

Self-reporting rental payments and using other services like Experian Boost can add a nice little bump to your overall credit worthiness. Self reporting on time payments that you make that live outside your credit report can’t hurt and they will have a positive impact in the long term. The positive effects only take a little extra effort. This is basically like extra credit for your credit score and it's something worth spending time on.

Diversifying Your Credit Portfolio

It’s important to diversify your credit portfolio whenever possible however you shouldn’t do it at the expense of opening too many new lines of credit within a short time period. You don’t want to open up too many new accounts all at once just to diversify your credit score. This needs to be done thoughtfully and over time so that it can have the biggest impact and biggest boost to your credit score in the long term. The same goes for applying for too many lines of a credit in a short time period, this is a sure way to make your score go down in the short term.

Less is More

With regards to credit, less is typically more. You don’t need a large number of accounts in order to have good credit. A handful of good credit cards with timely payments and long standing credit history can be much more beneficial to your credit than 20 open accounts with smaller balances. Like everything in life, moderation is key to finding a middle ground where growth can flourish. The same goes for checking your credit. You shouldn’t feel the need to obsess over your credit score and constantly be checking its fluctuations. It’s important to be mindful of what’s happening and why it’s happening but you shouldn't let credit volatility get you down. Stay positive and stay focused on the task at hand and the rest should work itself out.