A FICO score is a review of your years of credit history based on a model developed by Fair Isaac and Company. Most people have scores near 650, but scores range from 300 to 850. The items that impact your FICO score are your credit-to-debt ratio, the types of credit you have, the number of recent credit inquiries, and most importantly, your payment history.

Building your FICO score takes time, but you can see changes within a few months. You can improve your credit score, or gain credit if you don’t already have it, by using these helpful hints:

Correct your credit report
If you discover mistakes on your credit report, contact the bureau asking that the items be removed. Make sure all of the activity reported is correct.

Keep up with payments
Late payments kill your FICO score. Making payments on time is the best way to prove that you're able to make payments to a lender.

Apply for gas station cards or store credit
For those who have no credit or low credit, retail credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to obtain credit, increase your credit limits and start a solid payment history. Beware of carrying a balance because these types of cards normally have high interest rates.