12 Things That Don’t Hurt Your Credit Score

By Stefanie Gordon

We often see doomsday articles about what can hurt or temporarily ding your credit score: Making late payments! Having a high credit utilization ratio! Applying for a debt consolidation loan!

But there are also plenty of things that won’t affect your credit score. In this article, we’ll go over 12 things that won’t negatively impact your credit.

Things that won’t hurt your credit

1. Checking your credit report

Checking your credit report won’t hurt your credit. You can check your report as many times as you’d like without damaging your score. Just make sure you’re doing it through a reputable party.

2. Losing your job

Losing your job and reliable income may prevent you from being approved for a loan/credit card, but it won’t be reflected in your credit score directly. Obviously if your loss of income impacts your ability to pay bills on time, your score can suffer.

3. Cellphone payments

Your cellphone provider may take a look at your credit score before approving you for service, but they don’t typically provide your info to the credit bureaus.

4. Interest rates

Your credit score can dictate what interest rates you’re offered, but your interest rates won’t influence your score. Paying high-interest rates will likely be bad for your finances, but they won’t ding your credit.

5. Soft pulls

A soft pull, or soft inquiry, is a credit check that’s done without you applying for credit, e.g. if you check your credit score.

6. Overdrawing your bank account

Overdrawing your bank account can cost you money, but it won’t hurt your credit assuming you pay your overdraft transactions prior to them going to collections.

7. Payments to insurance companies

Insurance companies will use your credit score to make decisions about whether to approve you and what your premiums are, but they won’t report your payments to the credit bureaus.

8. Rent

Paying your rent likely won’t affect your credit, unless you fall behind and get evicted (which will hurt your score).

9. Not paying your credit card balance in full

Your credit score won’t take a hit from you carrying a small monthly balance. However, carrying a high balance can result in you having a high credit utilization ratio, which can hurt your credit score.

10. Disputing credit report errors

Disputing errors you find on your credit report won’t hurt your score. Don’t worry, the credit bureaus aren’t petty and vindictive.

11. Paying off installment loans

Paying off an installment loan, such as a car loan or mortgage, doesn’t hurt your score. In fact, responsible installment loan payments show that you can manage many types of credit.

12. Not using your credit cards

Not using your credit cards doesn’t hurt your score. However, if your cards are closed due to inactivity, that can hurt your credit score since it will shorten the overall age of your credit accounts and potentially raise your credit utilization ratio.

See? Not everything will negatively affect your score. Go forth and spend wisely. By maintaining positive financial habits like always paying on time, your credit score will likely be just fine.

About Author:

Stefanie Gordon is a content strategist with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is a former financial journalist who has spent the last several years working in digital marketing. She specializes in content strategy and creation for large and small businesses in finance and technology.

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