will getting a credit card increase my credit score more then paying my student loans and bills?

People always tell me to get a credit card so that I can increase my credit score for when I want to buy a house. I have quite a few bills under my name ( cell phone, electricity, cable. etc.) and have student loans that I am paying off. I pay everything on time and never ever miss a payment. Everytime I have to apply for a loan, to pay for health care for example, I always get approved. I took that to mean I have pretty good credit already. Is this helping my credit go up as well, or is it just establishing good credit? Is there any truth to what they tell me about getting a credit card to raise my score? Thanks! Let me know if I am being ignorant.

Public Comments

1. credit companies look at your credit history. The longer you have an established credit history,....such as a credit card. the better your rating will be. You should never close the first credit card you get. so i would continue to pay as you are but go ahead and open a credit card, even if you dont use it.;.
2. Credit card is a revolving type of credit and differs from ones you already have. A couple of them with proper usage will benefit you. Utility bills in most cases are not reported by companies if you are not in default. I am not associating credit cards with negative perception. I am actually making about $1000.00 a year using the rewards cards. This is without bank interest on the account that pays my credit card bills.
3. the first thing you need to know is your credit score can be hammered for missing a student loan payment so always pay that off, yes credit cards just show how often and regular you pay so if you pay them off on time you are good. if you are getting a credit card just for that purpose then use it as a cash card and only charge things you would pay cash on, if you can do this, get a money rewards no fee card. forget the points rewards cards as they give you old junk, you want cash. penfed.org has a good one with no limits but do the research yourself. now take that money you get credited each month on your statement and put it in a savings account, look at the online banks as they pay 10X the interest with no minimums. Paypal is good and ING and others. then watch it grow and you should have a nice nest egg after a while. plus if you were paying cash you wouldn't have any of that
4. Cell phones, electric bills and cable do not report to the credit bureaus unless you do not pay and they are sent to collections. The things that do report are credit cards (revolving) and cars, boats, homes, furniture and personal loans (installment). Use your card for every day things, never exceed 30% of your credit limit in any given month and pay in full before the due date and your score will go up fast.