The #1 score killer (30% of your score) is high debt usage. No amount of disputing items will help if your utilization is over 30%.

Closing a credit card shortens your "Age of Credit History" (15% of your score). This is a fatal mistake even if the card is paid off.

Paying a debt collector might hurt your score more! It resets the "Date of Last Activity" and puts the negative item back on top of your report.

Get two low-limit credit cards. Keep the balance on both cards under 10% of the limit. This instantly boosts your Utilization score.

If dealing with a collector, offer to pay a lump sum ONLY if they agree in writing to delete the negative item from your credit report.