Making best of your credit score..
Paying off those debts is a great start. Getting those old accounts marked as "legally paid for less than full balance" or "paid settlement" is better than having an open collection or other negative account.
Pay down any open credit card accounts to about the 30% used level, if it is a $1000 limit card; pay it down to the $300 level or below.
Be careful of inquiries on your account, each commercial inquiry drops your score by 2 to 3 points.
Don’t close cards randomly, quite often, credit cards are the oldest accounts on your file, and the length of time an account is open is a score factor.
If you usually max out a card monthly, pay them multiple times a month, this keeps your balance down on the reporting day. Each account reports on a different day, usually about the statement date.
If you plan on getting a new loan, try to plan ahead, and pay down the revolving debt a month or two prior to the new loan application, this will get your score up in advance of the new inquiry, saving you money on the new loan.
Clean up the junk! Bad items in your credit file will erase themselves in about 7 years, unless they were involved in a Bankruptcy, then the life span is 10 years. Many people rely on a credit repair and restoration service to help in this cleanup, and the professionals at CrediClear Financial Group at some of the best in the business! Learn more about credit scores and credit items at http://www.4higherscores.com/
