The Consumer Federation of America and VantageScore Solutions reported that a recent survey they jointly sponsored found consumers have better understandings of credit scores, but still lack good knowledge of credit score impacts.

VantageScore Solutions is the Stamford, Conn.-based consumer data firm whose VantageScores work in cooperation with the consumer credit scoring systems developed by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.

The survey, which is the fifth the companies have sponsored together, found that a higher percentage of Americans understand that making loan payments on time, using a credit card occasionally but keeping low balances and avoiding opening several credit accounts at the same time will raise a low credit score or maintain a higher one.