Why payment history matters (first half). Payment history is the single most important signal on most consumer credit-scoring models because it directly reflects whether someone met past obligations when due. Scoring models weight missed payments heavily: a recent 30-, 60-, or 90-day late record is an explicit marker that a borrower failed to repay on schedule, and that same behavior is exactly what lenders try to forecast. Payment history includes on-time payments, late payments, collections, charge-offs, and public records linked to debt (where applicable). Because it’s binary and time-stamped (paid on time vs late), it’s a reliable, objective behavioral measure, unlike softer signals such as account age or mix. Practically, this means the fastest ways to halt downward movement on a score are to stop missing payments, bring accounts current, and if needed, negotiate with creditors for removal or correction of errors once payments are verified. If an error has caused a late payment to appear incorrectly, a documented dispute and supporting proof are the right first steps—because clearing an incorrect late mark can materially help.

Concrete steps and practical implications (second half). In practice, prioritize: (1) bring any past-due accounts current where possible; (2) set up automatic payments or calendar reminders to prevent future misses; (3) if a payment was missed due to an error (like a misapplied payment), gather bank statements and contact the creditor and credit bureau to correct it. For older late items, know that the impact lessens over time as newer on-time behavior accumulates — but it’s usually faster and higher-impact to stop misses than to try to boost score via other levers first. Finally, if affordability is the root cause, pair payment stabilization with budgeting, hardship requests, or third-party counseling so you can maintain on-time payments going forward.