What are some specific things you can do to improve your credit?

• Try to pay your bills consistently and on time. This can be made easier by creating a budget and sticking with it .
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  Try to reduce the amount you owe, and avoid using credit whenever possible. Consider a secured credit card instead.
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  See if there are any open lines of credit on your credit report that you no longer need, such as credit cards that you don't use anymore. A large amount of this type of "potential debt" can scare away other lenders.
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  Stay on your best behavior for seven years. That's when most negative information, such as late payments, accounts that your lender turned over to a collection agency, and court judgments against you, are removed from your credit report. (There are a few exceptions to this seven-year rule; for example, bankruptcy information remains on the report for ten years.) Your good behavior will pay off even before the seven years have passed, because more recent information is factored in more heavily than earlier information. On the plus side, positive information, such as a history of paying back debts on time, stays on your credit report forever.