When trying to improve your credit score, the most important thing you can do is pay your bills on time.
It counts for 35 percent of your overall credit score, so paying bills on time is the best way to boost your credit.
If you miss payments, it can linger on your credit report for quite some time.
Should you miss a payment, it’s going to stay on your credit report for seven years from the date that you missed the payment.
Likewise, if you have a judgment filed against you, that will also remain in your report for seven years from the date on which it was filed.
Tax liens will also stay on your report for seven years – but not from the date of the lien; rather, it will remain for seven years from the date that you’ve paid it off.
If you don’t pay it off, an unpaid tax lien will stay on your report for 15 years from the date of the lien.
Finally, if you wind up filing for bankruptcy, it will stay on your credit report for 10 years.
