Learn some of the simplest ways to boost your credit score.
At Home Link, we help people boost their credit scores every day, and we want to share some of our knowledge with you. Some of our suggestions you can manage on your own, while some of them need a professional like us.
Many people believe that if they just start paying their bills on time again that their credit will start going up. They also believe that if they can just negotiate and pay off some of their collections, their score will increase as well.
Both of these scenarios are true, however once damage has been done, it takes time and may not provide the results you are looking for.
Removing and repairing negative items is one of the quickest ways to boost your credit score
Here are some of the easiest ways that you can help your credit score.
Pay Your Bills On Time
On time payments are a very big influencer to your credit score. It is important to pay your creditors or lenders on time for every billing period. However, we all know that life sometimes has a different plan. In cases where you might fall behind, it is important to at least try to not miss a payment. Inform the lender or creditor that you may be only a few days late and certainly try to make your payment before it is 30 days late. Your credit report will track how many times you have been 30, 60, and 90 days late.
Remove And Repair Negative Items On Your Credit Report
Negative items on your credit report are one of the main items that will hurt your credit score and possibly keep you from qualifying for a home loan, or a good car loan. Sometimes, there just may be inaccuracies because something was reported incorrect (this does happen more than you think).
At Home Link, we help individuals challenge the credit bureaus and creditors to prove the information they are reporting is accurate. We are successful in removing and repairing negative items for our customers, and they receive the benefit in their scores.
Manage Your Credit Utilization
A good rule of thumb is to keep your credit utilization to 30% or less. Ideally, 10% is where you want to be. For instance, if you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit, you should try to keep the balance owed below $300 (30%).
Show A History
Give yourself time - time is another important part of your credit score. Creditors and lenders want to see that you have had credit and have established a history of paying your bills on time and using the credit responsibly. Make sure to keep the oldest accounts you have open (keep a balance of $0 if needed) so that they report as active and you get credit for it.
Stay Away From Too Many Hard Inquiries
When you have a large number of hard credit inquiries - meaning you have requested credit often, this may be interpreted by the credit bureaus as a sign you are opening multiple credit accounts due to financial problems, or taking on more debt than you can manage.