By now, most consumers with even a minimal history of credit are aware that something known as a credit score has a tremendous amount of influence on his or her financial lives. The score, a distillation of one’s credit history reduced to a three-digit number between 350 and 850, represents to the world the overall credit worthiness of the individual that it represents.

A score towards the lower end of the scale means that you are a poor risk for a credit card or a loan, while a score at the upper end means that you can get the best rates on just about any type of lending. Despite what you may think, it is possible to obtain a score in the 800 range. All it takes is time and some discipline.

Here are some tips that will help you achieve a top credit score:

This may seem like a lot of things to do, but none of them are actually very difficult. All it takes to achieve a high credit score is to pay your bills on time, not apply for more credit than you need, not use your cards too often and do it for a long time. It may seem odd, but the more you act like you don’t need credit, the more you will have available to you.

?Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to personal bankruptcy, debt consolidation, establishing credit and credit counseling.