Essential Tips to Avoid 5 Common Credit Killers and Boost Scores

5 Credit Killers

What are the top factors that can damage your credit score?

The information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider seeking personal advice from a licensed adviser before acting on any information.

A good credit score speaks volumes about your financial habits. It's the evidence most creditors need to evaluate your credit worthiness.

Interestingly, there are some credit killers that even people maintaining good credit scores would unwittingly be a part of, which will be their undoing when applying for credit facilities in the future.

These mistakes may seem to be insignificant, but when the time comes, you may face more problems than you expect.

Avoiding Debt

Creditors need to evaluate your financial history to approve any credit facilities.

If you have no previous or existing debts, it might adversely affect your case, as creditors have no way of checking out how you'll handle the credit you get from them.

Shopping For Rates

Looking around for the best rate may actually turn out to be bad.

Debt Stressed?

If you're struggling to pay your debts and covering living expenses, we're here to help. Through our national panel of Debt Management specialists, we can help customers with $10k or more in debt by consolidating your existing loans, stopping Debt collectors from contacting you and re-negotiating repayments on your terms!

... start your free debt analysis ...

Too many inquiries within a short period could damage your credit score.

Usually, if you do more than 3 or 4 inquiries within a single month, you are likely to scare the lenders. For the same reasons, transferring the balances on your credit cards could be a bad idea as well.

Assuming There's a Grace Period

If you are late on a payment by even one day, you are late, period.

Never assume there's a grace period for late payments, because it only affects your credit score negatively.

Closing Old Accounts

Because your relevant transaction history also gets erased when you close your old accounts, your credit history is shortened and it may lower your credit score.

If you want to close your old accounts, close everything except the oldest account, which will leave a longer history.

Co-signing Loans

The obvious problem here is that the primary borrower's mistakes will end up on your credit report as well.

Published: Sunday, 1st Aug 2021
Author: Paige Estritori

Personal Loans Articles

The Ultimate Guide to Repairing Your Credit Score Fast

A credit score is a numerical representation of your creditworthiness. It's derived from your credit history, which includes the total amount of debt you have, your payment history, and other financial behaviours. - read more

Proven Strategies to Boost Your Personal Loan Approval Odds

Embarking on the journey to secure a personal loan can often seem like navigating through a complex financial landscape. Particularly for Australians, where the market is bustling with a multitude of lenders each with their respective criteria and rates, increasing the chances of loan approval is a pursuit that requires insight and preparation. - read more

How to Refinance Your Loans Safely Without Credit Impacts

In today's financial climate, many Australians find themselves exploring options to manage and optimise their financial commitments. One option gaining popularity is loan refinancing. But what exactly is loan refinancing, and how can it benefit you, especially without negatively impacting your credit score? - read more

Finance News

Money3 Penalised $1.55 Million for Responsible Lending Failures

04 May 2026: Paige Estritori

The Federal Court has imposed a $1.55 million penalty on Money3 Loans Pty Ltd for breaching responsible lending obligations in providing car finance to vulnerable consumers. This ruling underscores the critical importance of adhering to responsible lending practices, especially when dealing with financially susceptible individuals. Find out now if you qualify and compare rates, offers and options from multiple lenders - without a credit check! - read more

Cigno Australia and BSF Solutions Penalised $7 Million for Unlawful Lending Practices

04 May 2026: Paige Estritori

The Federal Court has imposed a $7 million fine on Cigno Australia and BSF Solutions for operating an illegal payday lending scheme that violated Australian credit laws. This significant penalty highlights the ongoing efforts to protect consumers from predatory lending practices. Find out now if you qualify and compare rates, offers and options from multiple lenders - without a credit check! - read more

Latitude Financial Faces $3.96 Million Fine for Repeated Spam Law Violations

04 May 2026: Paige Estritori

Latitude Financial has recently been fined $3.96 million by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for breaching spam laws by sending over 2.3 million marketing messages without accurate contact information and 344,416 messages lacking a functional unsubscribe option. This marks the company's second significant penalty for similar violations, following a $1.55 million fine in 2022. - read more

Click for more Finance News

Need Help Finding a Loan?

Find out now if you qualify and compare rates, offers and options from multiple lenders - without a credit check!

All finance quotes are provided free (via our secure server) and without obligation. We respect your privacy.

Knowledgebase

Personal Loan:
a loan that is granted for personal use, normally unsecured and granted by a lender on the borrower's integrity and capacity to repay