Titanium Ford
Steve Marshall Group
60 Years of Excellence
// Titanium Ford — Michael Filzwieser

Essential Credit
Building Tips

Most people don’t know what’s actually hurting their score. These 7 habits — focused on the right priorities — are how our clients go from approved to upgraded in 8–10 months.

Credit Score Range
Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent
Your credit score is built from 5 factors. Focus on the high-impact ones first — Payment History and Utilization alone account for 60% of your score. Everything else is secondary.
01
Payment History
High Impact
35%
  • Always make payments on time — late or missed payments negatively impact your score
  • Set up automatic payments or reminders to avoid delinquencies
  • Even small payments on time are better than paying in full late
02
Credit Utilization
High Impact
30%
  • Keep credit card balances below 35% of your total limit at all times
  • High utilization signals risk to lenders and drops your score fast
  • Pay down balances before the statement date for better reporting
03
Credit Age
Medium Impact
15%
  • The longer your credit history, the better — avoid closing old accounts
  • New credit lines can help, but too many at once lowers your average account age
04
Credit Inquiries
Medium Impact
10%
  • Hard inquiries (loan applications) stay on your report for up to two years
  • Limit new credit applications to avoid unnecessary hits to your score
  • Soft inquiries (checking your own score) do not impact your credit — ever
05
Credit Mix
Low Impact
10%
  • A diverse credit profile (credit cards, auto loans, installment loans) strengthens your score
  • Managing different types of credit responsibly shows lenders you can handle multiple obligations
06
Handle Negative Accounts
Low Impact
  • If you have past-due accounts, bring them current ASAP — late payments are reported for up to 7 years
  • Collections & charge-offs: negotiate a “pay-for-delete” when possible
07
Monitor Your Credit
Ongoing
  • Check your credit report regularly for errors — dispute inaccuracies immediately
  • Use free tools to track changes and get alerts:
Equifax TransUnion Borrowell Credit Karma
Free Tool — No Impact to Your Score
Check your credit score for free with Borrowell
→ Get Your Free Credit Score
Start Building Today
Get your pre-approved Neo credit card — no credit check required
→ Apply for Your Pre-Approved Card
// Credit Path Canada
Your Free Credit Rebuilding Dashboard — creditpathcanada.ca
Track your score and follow a personalized month-by-month rebuild plan. We can upload your credit report and create your login — just let us know and we’ll have your profile ready before your first session.
Get Started Free →
Michael Filzwieser
Finance Director · Titanium Ford · Steve Marshall Group · 60 Years
(604) 442-0894
michaelf@titaniumford.ca · titaniumford.ca