I'm not an expert but I worked in an anti fraud unit of a bank credit card unit for 4 years after college before med school. 1. do not open credit account that you do not need and you cannot pay 2. check your credit on a regular basis like every 6 months (this may soft hit your credit as an inquiry but usually it shouldn't hurt it) make sure to be aware of eac and every account under your name 3. be aware of any credit account opened under your name, I've handles hundreds of cases of parents opening unauthorized credit accounts under their children's name and eventually going default and hurting their credit in the long run 4. If you can afford it, I think credit alert on your SSN and name is a good investment 5. credit cards can really help you build your credit score so it's good to have them but make sure that you are responsible in paying it on or before the due date 6. Interest, late fees. annual fees should be considered because it's not just your purchase that are being charged on the account