New Delhi, Aug. 28 -- A single missed credit card payment can follow you for years, making loans more expensive or even leading to rejections. On the other hand, a healthy credit score unlocks lower EMIs, bigger loan eligibility, and faster approvals. As banks and fintech lenders increasingly rely on credit scores to decide who qualifies and at what rate, it pays to understand how to build and protect your number.

Here are five habits you can follow to boost and preserve your creditworthiness:

On-time payment of EMIs, credit card bills, and personal loan dues on time is the most critical factor in credit scoring. Even a single missed or delayed payment can negatively influence the score, signalling risk to lending institutions. Setting ...