CLEVELAND -- The recent downturn in the economy has made it even more critical for you to have good credit. Without it it's next to impossible for you to get a credit card, car loan or mortgage. But there are things you can do to raise your credit score in a matter of weeks.

Chris Reinhard admits to not doing as good a job as he should have keeping tabs on his credit score. When he finally did check it, Reinhard's credit score was 648, not bad, but not great. He is looking to buy a home and wants to get the best rate possible, so he began working to improve his score.

Dean Wegner is a credit counselor who told Reinhard there are several quick fixes to significantly boost your score in as little as 30 days.

The first step Wegner recommends is reducing the balance to limit ratio on your credit cards. You could pay down the balances or simply ask for a credit line increase. Wegner also suggests signing up for credit monitoring with any or all of the three bureaus; Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. For $14.95, you can dispute any item on your credit report. If the bureau cannot verify the information on your report within 30 days, it must be permanently deleted.

Wegner said think twice before paying off old charge-offs or collections because you may end up doing more harm than good. Paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report, and in fact it stays on your credit report for seven years.

By following Wegner's advice, Reinhard improved his credit score by more than 70 points to a 720. Reinhard said the whole process took less than two months and proved fairly easy to accomplish.

Here are some more tips to make sure you have the best credit score possible:

Pay your bills on time because delinquent payments and collections have a huge impact on your credit score.

Even if you've missed some payments, pay them as soon as you can.

If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors or see a legitimate credit counselor. Don't confuse legitimate, nonprofit credit counseling services with fly-by-night outfits or so-called debt settlement firms. Debt settlement can hurt your credit score, since you're paying less than you owe. And remember to check out the firm because you don't want to wake up and find they have moved on with your money, leaving you worse off than before.

Pay off debt rather than moving it around. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.

Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score. A closed account will still show up on your credit report.

Don't open a number of new credit cards that you don't need, just to increase your available credit.

Don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. It can give the impression you are a new credit user and that appears risky to a loan officer.

Don't be afraid of credit cards just be responsible with them. Having credit cards and installment loans and paying them on time, raises your credit score. If you don't have any credit cards, credit cards responsibly.