MQ, first getting an increase on your FICO is tricky. You are given a score between 300 and 850 depending on a number of factors taken into account by the credit rating agencies. In the same vein, get a copy of your free credit report at
www.annualcreditreport.com. Don't assume that each agencies report contains the same information. These agencies get their information from lenders and different lenders report to different agencies. Mistakes are also made, so getting a credit report from each one is the best way to make sure that everything is accurate.
If you desire to get say a 700+ score, there are some factors you must look at;for example,
1. You (and your husband) may have been able to obtain credit fairly easily;however, always, always, pay your bills on time. Late payments and collections can have serious consequences on your credit score. Your payment history is a major factor as it represents 35% of your credit score.
2. Do not apply for credit too frequently. This will decrease your credit score because this is a characteristic of high credit risk groups.
3. Keep your credit-card balances low. If you're "maxed" out on your credit cards, this will affect your credit score negatively. A good rule of thumb I've heard several times is to keep your credit card balances at or below 25% of your credit limits.
4. Fix any mistakes you have with the major credit bureaus right away because it can take time and have significant impacts. This entails getting in touch with the lender to verify that the information is accurate. If the lender can't confirm or doesn't respond, then the information is removed from your credit report. Also, if you have paperwork proving that the information on your account is false, send it to the credit bureaus and keep copies of everything.
You mentioned this,
"I've only had 3 other credit cards, 2 of them were majors and both I paid off."
Believe it or not not good. 15% of your credit score is based on the length of your credit history, and that includes the age of your oldest account as well as the average age of all your accounts. In other words, lenders want customers who will stay around and not move their accounts to whoever has the lowest current introductory offer.
So when you paid it off, you removed your revolving credit that showed how well you pay debt.
5.Lastly, don't bother to close accounts that have had missed payments or have had collections. Open or closed, they will be part of your past credit history for some time.
So in effect, don't worry about the Visa.