Almost four months into 2010 and I am not sure who among us remember our New Year’s resolutions.

I am sure that a lot of us are desperately struggling to keep up with the promises we made right before the fireworks lit the 2010 midnight skies. Are you going the gym like what you told your wife? Are you avoiding those yummy French fries? Sticking to your budget? If you are checking most of those boxes then good for you.

If one of your goals is to improve your credit this year, then it is not too late. You still have a long time to do something about it. We offers some helpful tips to beef up that credit.

It can be a very tough time. A lot of lenders implement stricter guidelines with tougher loan terms and higher minimum payments. The interest rates are also going sky high. Remember to stick to the basic. It is still to good financial management. Check out our tips below.

Always pay the bills on time

About 35% of your credit score depends on whether you pay your bills on time or not. This habit of yours will tell lenders if you are worth taking risk with or they will be better off not doing business with you. Take note that late payments under a month may not be reported but it is still up to the lender. It will be wise not to take the risk and pay on time. Remember that a single late payment can down your score by as much as fifty points. One due date you miss can mean about six months to a year of credit re-building.

Trim down your debt

Paying down your debt can spell a lot of different in terms of improving your credit. One, you can save a lot of money without having to worry about those finance charges. The more you pay down what you owe, the lower the minimum payment will be. So that will leave some money in your pocket. Your credit score will also be higher if you have a good credit ratio.

Try to get those credit card balances very close to zero and pay your credit card bills on time. About thirty percent of your credit score depends on this one.

Shop for better deals

Look for credit cards that have very low APR. If you can find a 0% APR, that will be perfect. You can also transfer your balance from a higher APR card to the lower or 0% APR card. See how your debt will be going down with every payment.

Transferring your balance also means you do not use the other card or it will be senseless. You don’t have to close the credit card cause it will do more harm than good to your credit score. Freeze it in the middle of an ice block if you must. Just do not use the card.

Pay off credit cards with higher interest rates first

If you cannot get a card with a lower interest rate, try to make use of tools that can help you monitor your debt. Remember to pay off your credit cards with higher interest rates first. Inject as much funds as possible to those cards every month while paying minimum to your other cards on time. After handling the highest interest rate card, go to the next card, then the next card with lower interest rate. This is called a snowball plan of approaching debt payment.

Negotiate for a more manageable interest rate

Contact your credit card company and request for a better, lower, more manageable interest rate. Most of the time, credit card companies will give in to your request if you have a good track record of paying on time.