Fixing your credit can be hard to do, especially if you don't have the right information. In fact, most people don't even know they can repair their credit in the first place. Information can be the key to raising your credit score again; have a look at these tips for bringing your credit back to good standing.

If you are unable to get a new card because of your bad credit, try to apply for secured cards. These accounts are much easier to get as you will have to fund the new account ahead of time with a deposit to cover any purchases. If you open a credit card account, keep charges fairly low, and pay it on time, this will go towards improving your credit score.

Obtain a copy of your credit report at regular intervals, and maintain a careful watch for agencies to report your repair efforts. If you are clearing up negative issues on your credit history, monitoring your report allows you to verify that agencies are correctly administering information on your status and that additional negative reports are not being made.

When you inspect your credit report for errors, you will want to check for accounts that you have closed being listed as open, late payments that were actually on time, or any other myriad of things that can be wrong. If you find an error, write a letter to the credit bureau and include any proof that you have such as receipts or letters from the creditor.

If you have several credit cards to pay off, start by paying off the one with the lowest amount. This means you can get it paid off quicker before the interest rate goes up. You also have to stop charging all your credit cards so that you can pay off the next smallest credit card, once you are done with the first one.

Pay attention to the dates of last activity on your report. Disreputable collection agencies will try to restart the last activity date from when they purchased your debt. This is not a legal practice, however if you don't notice it, they can get away with it. Report items like this to the credit reporting agency and have it corrected.

On a yearly basis, review your credit report for items that could mean your identity has been stolen. If you see inquiries that you did not authorize or accounts opened that you do not recall, start taking action immediately to secure your identity and put a hold on your credit.

An important tip to consider when working to repair your credit is to make sure you exhaust all possible resources before considering bankruptcy. This is important because bankruptcy will remain on your report for 10 years and is extremely hard to come back from. Always consult with a credit counselor beforehand.

If you are in excessive debt and need to repair your credit, you must get into contact with your creditors. Hiding from your creditors will only make the situation worse. If you speak with them, they may be able to help you; if you refuse to talk with them, there's nothing they can do.

Avoid any credit repair consultant or service that offers to sell you your own credit report. Your credit report is available to you for free, by law. Any company or individual that denies or ignores this fact is out to make money off you and is not likely to do it in an ethical manner. Stay away!

Information is the best tool available to lift your credit rating. The tips that follow is a guide to repairing your credit and set a course for success. You may run into a few problems along the way, but if you keep your eyes on your goal ultimately you'll see your credit score rise.