Credit is a minefield. Sometimes it feels as if you’re doing everything right only to find out it wasn’t enough. Yep, paying bills on time and clearing your balance monthly aren’t guaranteed hits. You can do both and still have average to poor credit. What a jip!

Why, is the question on everyone’s lips? The answer is simple – there are a lot of weird things that impact a credit rating. And, worryingly, a majority of average Joes don’t have any idea that they exist. To make sure you don’t get stung, here are four of the weirdest and not-so-wonderful ways to harm your score.

Avoiding Credit

My score must be amazing; I have zero cards in my wallet. One would imagine this to be the case but it isn’t whatsoever. The way companies attempt to assign a score is by taking previous transactions into account. So, banks will evaluate a person’s file before making a decision. People who don’t have enough data to analyze will either get a bad score or won’t have one at all. Some may say it’s a trap, but lenders say they need to know whether an applicant is trustworthy before signing off. So, avoid credit at your peril!

Closing Accounts

Please, close your account to avoid a bad reputation. It makes sense, right? If there are too many open balances, then it’ll seem as if you’re lazy and unorganized. Lenders hate both of those traits, so they want to see clean and proactive lending. However, there is a flip side includes something called debt utilization ratio. The way it works is simple. Well, it isn’t but let’s break it down so it’s less confusing! The rate is calculated by taking each account and adding it up to an overall score. The trick is to make sure it is under 30%, which is hard to do with one or two accounts. The more you have, the more it is spread out and less likely to rise.

Spring Cleaning

And not in a money sort of way, like closing out bank accounts. This is a reference to actual janitorial cleaning services and a feather duster. If you’re wondering why being a clean freak impacts a credit score, it’s because of the mental aspect of your finances. Sloppy people, on average, tend to be less prepared and suffer money trouble more. Experts believe it has something to do with transferring one aspect of life into another. Spring cleaning may encourage you to maintain your credit, too.

Surname

Yep, even your family name is against you with credit agencies. One reason this happens is that the people in charge make minor mistakes. It may be a misspelling, but it knocks the rating down. And, if there are enough of them, it will constantly chip away like a river eroding a gorge. Some people even have their credit reports mixed up and swapped. All you can do is request agencies to fix errors regardless of the size.

How many of the above were you aware of, and will you consider them now?