<prompt> Human: My husband and I would like to buy a house in a couple of years but we have to get his credit up. He had a 610 at the start of the year, and we took the advice of a friend and opened 2 additional credit cards to buy gas and lunch on and pay off when the bill came in and we have been doing that. However, upon doing this, my husbands credit has gone down 14 points AAH! and we just dont know what to do or what we are doing, honestly. Other than the 2 credit cards, he doesnt have any open accounts on his credit. He has no loans, no car payments and no debt. We thought the credit cards would help. Are there any reputable sources out there we can speak with that can guide us through this process without a gimmick? Or does anyone here have any suggestions? Thanks for any help!Edit: THANK YOU EVERYONE SO MUCH! I know now not to freak out and that we are on the right path! I really appreciate your help! Thank you!  <response>: Your friend didnt lead you astray. Multiple credit accounts does help your score, as you can increase your total borrowing power. So dont be uncharitable to your friend, because heshe was right. In a sense.However, opening accounts does ding your score temporarily. It will eventually go back up again. Your credit score is not a sprint but a marathon. You build it up slowly over time.I would recommend checking out this site on how your credit score is calculated. 