5 Things To Raise Your Score Today
Credit Improvement can seem like a long and arduous process, dealing with the bureaus and creditors for months and years. And unfortunately, it kind of is.
But there are things you can do right now to raise your credit score and set you in the right direction. Check out the top 5!
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1. Pay Down Debts30% of your credit score is made up of your debt-to-credit ratio. Paying off part or all of your debts will increase your credit score. |
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Better Score |
| Pay Down Debt Below 50% (Optimally 30%) |
Next Time Creditor Updates Report |
Check out our Reduce Your Debts page to learn more.
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2. Increase Credit LimitCalling your creditor and asking for an increase to your credit limit is one of the quickest ways to decrease your debt-to-credit ratio. |
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Today |
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Better Score |
| Ask for increase (so your debt-to-credit ratio is under 50%) |
Next Time Creditor Updates Report |
WARNING: If you're a serious credit addict, increasing your credit limit may only get you into more trouble. If you can't control your spending habits, then AC woud advise you not to increase your credit limits, but rather, pay off your debts.
Check out our Reduce Your Debts page to learn more.
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3. Get A New Credit AccountAnother way to decrease your debt-to-credit ratio is to expand your credit limit by getting more credit. Of course, only if you're in a position to do so. |
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Getting a new credit account (like a credit card or car loan) affects 2 parts of your credit score: your
Debt-to-Credit Ratio, and your
Types of Credit Accounts. See how they work within your credit score, at our
Understanding Your Credit Score Model page.
WARNING: If you're a serious credit addict, increasing your credit limit may only get you into more trouble. If you can't control your spending habits, then AC woud advise you not to increase your credit limits, but rather, pay off your debts.
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4. Get Added To A Friend's AccountFor years, parents and friends have helped credit newcomers get a headstart by adding them to their accounts, giving them a history of good credit. |
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Better Score |
| Request being added to account |
Next time creditor updates report |
WARNING: Both parties need to be vigilant to keep the account paid on time, especially the person who has been added. Anything that happens to the account (non-payment, assets frozen) will affect both parties.
Check out our length of credit history page that talks about piggybacking.
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5. Start Fixing Your Questionable Negative ItemsMost people get their credit into trouble by missing payments. But you can start working on clearing the bad marks on your credit history today. |
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While the disputing process takes a while to complete, getting started on it as soon as possible can only help. Do you have your
online credit reports? If so, get on with verifying your payment history!
Visit our Fixing Credit History page and send your dispute letters today!
