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If you're starting to save on a down payment for your home, you’ll want to build credit in the meantime. To get your credit report 100 percent ready to go, here are simple tips and tricks.

It's important to remember your credit report and credit score aren’t the same—but they’re definitely similar. Your credit report is your history of all the borrowing you’ve done but your credit score is the number that represents it.

To get your credit report in tip-top shape before home buying, here are some ideas for you to consider:

• Spread out time between other big loans and a mortgage. If you’ve recently taken out a car loan, student loans or anything similar, you’ll want to hold off on those applications.

• Building credit isn’t hard.…

Your personal finances are a critical part of securing a mortgage. One important part of your finances is your credit; a higher credit score can lead to a lower cost mortgage.

It’s important to have open lines of credit with no debt, which can increase your credit score. Lenders typically look for at least three open trade lines, such as a Mastercard or department store credit card. Paying your credit card bills on time leaves your credit report with “paid current” for each line of credit and no derogatory items or delinquencies. It’s also critical to show a consistent payment history over time, so keep your credit accounts long-term. 

On the other hand, payment obligations can reduce your ability to qualify for the mortgage amount you want.  If you…