I guarantee that there are damaging items on your credit report that you don't even know about. To find out what they are and how to get them off you first need to get a Free Online Credit Report.

A credit rating will be determined differently between different countries, but the general concepts are similar, and may include:

Payment record - a record of bills being paid over due will negatively affect the credit rating. Control of debt - Lenders want to see that clients are not living beyond their means. Experts estimate that non-mortgage credit payments each month should not exceed more than 15 percent of your after tax income. Signs of responsibility and stability - Lenders perceive things such as longevity in clients home and job (at least two years) as signs of stability. Having a respected profession can improve a credit rating. Re-Aging - Through re-aging, a credit history is re-written and you are given a fresh start on that particular account. This can dramatically improve the credit score. In 2000 the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFEIC) clarified guidelines on re-aging accounts for delinquent borrowers. [1] (PDF) Credit inquiries - An inquiry is a notation on a credit history file. There are several kinds of notations that may or may not have an adverse effect on the credit score. Soft pulls don't affect the credit score and are characteristic of the following examples: