11 Strategies To Boost Your Credit Score

In order to improve your credit scores, it’s important to know where you stand currently.

The three-digit numbers, which range from 300 to 850, are the key to your borrowing costs.

1. Get copies of your credit report and make sure the information is correct.

Call 877-322-8228 or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Or you can go to the only authorized online source for a free credit report site annualcreditreport.com perform the checking, you can get a free report from each of the three national credit reporting companies every 12 months.

2. Which is the most important, Pay your bills on time.

Pay down your credit cards. Paying off your installment loans may can help your score, but typically not as dramatically as paying down — or paying off — revolving accounts like credit cards. The FICO model and even (from what we understand) the Vantage scoring system now used by the Big 3 weight credit card debt more heavily. Each individual card as well as your total revolving line should be below 25%. If your goal is to increase your credit score – forget about paying down your high interest rate cards first. Work on getting those balances down over higher interest rates to reap the most improvement in credit score.

Don’t use your whole credit line every month, even if you pay your balance in full. Your available credit is averaged over your billing cycle, which is sometimes less than 30 days. If your limit is say, $5000 and you charge $5000, even if you pay it off each month, your credit balance is still going to show $2500 (a 50% usage limit), which is going to make your score plunge.

3. Your credit score is usually based on the answers to these questions:

  • Do you pay your bills on time? The answer to this question is very important. If you have paid bills late, have had an account referred to a collection agency, or have ever declared bankruptcy, this history will show up in your credit report.
  • What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models compare the amount of debt you have and your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, it is likely to have a negative effect on your score.
  • How long is your credit history? A short credit history may have a negative effect on your score, but a short history can be offset by other factors, such as timely payments and low balances.
  • Have you applied for new credit recently? If you have applied for too many new accounts recently, that may negatively affect your score. However, if you request a copy of your own credit report, or if creditors are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make prescreened credit offers, these inquiries about your credit history are not counted as applications for credit.
  • How many and what types of credit accounts do you have? Many credit-scoring models consider the number and type of credit accounts you have. A mix of installment loans and credit cards may improve your score. However, too many finance company accounts or credit cards might hurt your score.

To learn more about credit scoring, see the Federal Trade Commission’s website, Facts for Consumers.

4. Learn the legal steps you must take to improve your credit report.

The Federal Trade Commission’s “Building a Better Credit Report” has information on correcting errors in your report, tips on dealing with debt and avoiding scams — and more.

5. Beware of credit-repair scams.

Sometimes doing it yourself is the best way to repair your credit. The Federal Trade Commission’s “Credit Repair: How to Help Yourself” explains how you can improve your creditworthiness and lists legitimate resources for low-cost or no-cost help.

6. Deleting Errors in 48 Hours

This is the absolute fastest way to correct errors on your credit report and raise your credit score. However, it can only be done through a mortgage company or a bank. If you apply for a home loan and find errors on your credit report, request the loan officer to conduct a Rapid Rescore. But don’t mistake it for the credit clinic tactic of multiple dispute letters.

7. PiggyBack Someone’s Credit

This is a fast and great little credit score booster. But it requires a very trusting relationship. Simply put, someone else adds you to their credit account. For example, when applying for a credit card, you may have seen the section to add a card holder. If your trusting person adds you, their payment history is now reported on your credit report too. If they have perfect credit, now you have a perfect account.

To make this more effective, use an aged account. Imagine if your trusted person has a 10 year old credit card account with a perfect payment history and a balance of only 50% of the credit limit. Wouldn’t you love to have this on your credit report? The easy part is your trusted person just calls the credit card company and requests a form to add a cardholder. Once completed and activated, their entire account history and future is now
firmly planted on your account. Imagine if you secured 3-5 of these accounts – especially installment accounts. Your credit score could sky-rocket!

The challenging part? Finding the trusted person. Since you already have a low credit score and bad credit, how eager will someone be to make you a cardholder? Even your parents don’t want you to damage their credit. But, no one says you need to possess the card! In other words, your trusted person could add you as a card holder and never give you the card or PIN or any information. Since the bills and all account information is still mailed to the trusted person’s address, you won’t know anything about the account. This
scenario could land you many trusted persons. And you still benefit with a higher credit score.

8. Don’t Close Accounts

Even if you pay off revolving debts, do not close the account. The longer an account is open with no negative reports, the better it reflects in your overall credit score. This is due to the weighted-average in the credit score formula. Many credit experts suggest a balance of 30% of your credit limit. That’s
ideal. But you can go as high as 70% and still maintain a healthy credit score.

9. Don’t File Bankruptcy or Foreclosure

Here’s the most obvious advice: Don’t file for bankruptcy or foreclosure. These stay on your credit report for 10 years and always decrease your credit score. The older the bankruptcy or foreclosure account becomes, coupled with re-built credit history, the less of an impact they play on your credit score.

Contrary to popular beliefs, you can legally delete a bankruptcy and foreclosure. It’s not easy. But it’s possible. See the advanced methods for that solution.

10. No New Credit

You must be vigilant in your credit behavior if you want the best credit score. Therefore, do not get any new credit unless it is absolutely necessary. Each time you apply for credit, an inquiry is added to your report. This usually drops your credit score slightly. When you have fresh credit, there is no track record how you will manage (or pay) this account. Therefore, it’s a
higher risk which results in a minor drop in your credit score. Remember, your credit score is about risk assessment.

Here’s what you do: obtain credit for your housing, transportation, college or continued education and 3-5 credit cards. That’s really all you need for personal credit. If you want more credit, request a credit limit increase on your current cards rather than apply for new ones.

10. Don’t use credit card issuers who don’t report your credit limit.

Usually this is a problem you only run into with secured credit cards, but were you aware that American Express cards and Capital One do not report credit limits? In this case the bureaus typically use your highest balance as a proxy for your credit limit, which is going to make you look like you are maxed out.

11. Ask a trusted friend or family member to add you to one of their old cards as an authorized user, maybe one that hasn’t been used in awhile.

The older your credit history, the better. If your mother agrees to put you as an authorized user on a card that she; had for 20 years, you could see your score increase dramatically. And with the authorized user plan, you don’t even have to have the card in your possession if “Mom” feels better about this plan. (You’ll have to work things out with her on this).
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If you falling a bad creidt, just work on fixing it before it too later follow the following tips:

1) Pay down your credit cards.

2) Use your cards lightly.

3) Check your limits.

4) Dust off an old card.

5) Get some goodwill.

6) Dispute old negatives.

7) Blitz significant errors.

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21 Responses to “11 Strategies To Boost Your Credit Score”

  1. JAss says:

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