Ouestion 9 of 10 What is a good strategy if you want to improve your credit score? Increase your account balance Minimize new applications for credit Overdrawing your bank balance Pay your credit card bills late once in a while

To improve your credit score, the best strategy among the options provided is to **minimize new applications for credit**. Here's a breakdown of why this is the best choice and why the others are not advisable: 1. **Increase your account balance**: This is somewhat misleading. While having a higher balance in your bank account can be beneficial for your overall financial health, it does not directly impact your credit score. Credit scores are more influenced by credit utilization and payment history. 2. **Minimize new applications for credit**: This is a good strategy because each time you apply for credit, a hard inquiry is made on your credit report, which can temporarily lower your credit score. By minimizing new applications, you can help maintain or improve your score. 3. **Overdrawing your bank balance**: This is not a good strategy. Overdrawing your bank account can lead to overdraft fees and negatively impact your financial stability. While it may not directly affect your credit score, it can lead to missed payments or increased debt, which can harm your credit score. 4. **Pay your credit card bills late once in a while**: This is detrimental to your credit score. Payment history is one of the most significant factors in determining your credit score. Late payments can stay on your credit report for several years and significantly lower your score. In summary, the best strategy to improve your credit score is to **minimize new applications for credit**.