Having a good credit score has become very important to avail the advantages that banks offer. If you want to get approved for big-ticket items like car loans and mortgages, you’ll need to clean up your credit. Here are five easy steps you can take to boost your credit score quickly.
Step 1 – Order your credit report.
It is wise to know the root of the problem before curing it. Thus before you start working on raising your credit score, you have to know what it is. You can get a free copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com or order your credit score from myfico.com. You have the facility to get a free copy of your credit report each year, or any time you’re denied for credit. Although these free reports might not contain your credit score, they will give you some insight into what’s bringing it down.
Step 2 – Dispute errors on your credit report.
Most of the credit reports contain errors. It is possible that your credit score could be suffering because of negative items you weren’t responsible for. You can argue about these errors by following the guidelines at the Federal Trade Commission web site.
Step 3 – Pay down your credit cards.
Although having a lot of available credit is good for your score, but this will also result in a lot of debt which will bring the score down. It is best to have several credit cards that have very few charges. If you reach the maximum on your cards, your score could drop by a hundred points or more. It is better to pay your balances as soon as possible, and then resist the temptation to use the cards while you’re trying to pay the balance off.
Step 4 – Don’t apply for too many cards.
If you already have a considerable amount of debt and then apply for more credit cards, it might lead to lenders thinking that your spending is out of control. Don’t apply for more than one card every six months. Each credit card application you submit will be logged on your credit report, and each one can affect your score by a few points.
Step 5 – Make your payments on time, every time.
Make sure you pay your credit card bills on time, even if you can’t afford more than the minimum monthly payment. Each time you’re late by 30 days or more, your credit report will reflect a negative item in your payment history. And in case your credit card account is closed due to non-payment, it can haunt your credit for up to 7 years.
The best possible way to increase your credit score and get out of debt is to make more than the minimum required payment each month. Try to pay as much as you can. The faster you pay down your card balances, the faster your credit score will rise.
