If you want a lender to deny you, go ahead and do the following.

Here is a pie chart of how your credit score is determined.

Charging up your credit cards
During tough economic times like today, having high credit card balances is very common. Especially if you are self employed and don’t have a paycheck coming in. You really have no choice but to float matters on credit until the market get better. Unfortunately charging up your credit cards above and beyond 20% to 30% of the allowed credit limit will lower your credit score. The amount owed with creditors is 30%, of your overall credit score. So you can see how credit card debt can affect your credit rating.

Being late on payments
If you are really looking to trash your credit score, be late on an obligation that reports to all 3 credit bureaus. Late payments on a credit card, Mortgage, car loan, and installment loans will destroy your credit. This type of activity accounts for 35% of your fico score. This is the most common problem with credit reports. Regardless of what the situation was, a late payment is the ultimate kiss of death to good credit. You will normally see a reduction of 100 points or so to your credit score as a result of one late payment.

Apply for too much credit
It’s great when you have good credit because you can go out and apply for all those 0% credit card offers out there. The only problem is if you apply for too much at once, you credit score will be affected by this. New Credit accounts for 10% of your fico score. You only need a couple of credit cards, and those enticing 0% credit offers can affect your credit score if you get too much too soon. So, be careful.

Closing out good credit
You have a couple of credit cards that you never use or there fees are high. So you close those credit cards. You never thought that length of credit history accounts for 15% of your overall credit rating. Well guess what? If you closed some credit cards there is a good chance your credit rating just got affected. You basically wiped out good credit reporting on your report. So don’t close out good credit.

Mix of credit
Your family has always paid cash and you picked up on there bad habits. Yes, paying cash is good, but you never know when you might need a loan because you don’t have the cash to cover the expense at hand. Types of credit used accounts for 10% of your overall credit score. So in other words you need a mix of credit to have a top notch credit rating.
For example:
• Credit cards
• Installment loans
• Department store credit cards
• Mortgage loans
Fair Issac looks at your mix of credit to determine 10% of your fico score. So if you want to hurt your score pay cash for everything and don’t apply for any credit.