The fifteen minute monthly credit check-in

A credit routine works best when it is boring. The CFPB's advice for keeping a good credit score comes down to a short list: pay on time, keep balances low against your limits, only apply for credit you need, and check your reports for errors. A monthly check-in is a way to look at each of those once, on a schedule, instead of when something goes wrong.

The five steps

1. Look through your reports. Your reports are free to view online once a week. Once a month is plenty. See how to check your reports for free.
2. Compare balances with limits. The CFPB cites experts who advise using no more than 30 percent of your total limit. See keeping balances low.
3. Confirm every bill is covered. A reminder or an automatic payment for each one. See on-time payments without willpower.
4. Check your freeze. If you keep one, make sure it is still on. See freezing your credit and leaving it.
5. Book the next one. A recurring calendar entry is the whole trick.

The printable checklist holds the same five steps.

When nothing needs doing

Most months, the answer to every step is "fine". Close the tab. You are not trying to raise a number; you are making sure nothing changed without you.

When something does

A report entry you do not recognize, a balance that crept up, a missed bill: each has a short fix. If an entry looks wrong, see what to do when something looks wrong. For urgent problems such as a collector, a repossession or a stolen identity, the step-by-step guides are at Credit Help.