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If you’ve ever typed in “How To Increase Credit Score To 850” – you’re not alone… and you’re also very smart.
Do you ever hope to…
Rent an apartment?
Get approved for a mortgage?
Buy a car?
PAY LESS IN INTEREST?
If the answer is yes than you absolutely MUST know the required steps to obtain/keep good credit.
Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve had my “good credit” game going since I was about 17.
As soon as I was old enough to drive, have a cell phone and get a credit card, I did it on my own – without my parents help. I shopped around for car insurance rates, paid my cell phone bill and whenever I got money for a birthday or holiday, I put that money away.
Maybe it’s my Type A personality but I’ve always had an obsession with seeing how much I could save. Of course, saving translates into being able to pay bills fully and on time which in turn, increased my credit score.
My better half on the other hand… different story. He loves to spend (he likes to call it “spontaneity”) and in college ending up racking up boatloads of credit card debt.
Like many college kids, he didn’t pay off his credit card in full every month. The totals grew and grew and so in turn that equaled more money paid in interest and… a lower credit score.
We’ve been together over 14 years now so thankfully we’ve taken care of that, but over the years the lower credit score definitely impacted us a few times.
Now that we’re parents our credit scores and financial goals are even more important to us. We want the freedom to do things with our kids without any worries.
Just last week we were able to surprise them with a Disney trip and they had the time of their lives! If it wasn’t for having great credit scores and financial stability we would never be able to do such fun stuff with them.
Side note – Can you believe the kids didn’t even ask why we were randomly taking a photo with a suitcase? LOL
Our kids are now our “why”, but no matter what yours is, it’s almost guaranteed that your credit score will have an impact on your life goals. If you feel overwhelmed by your credit or need guidance in correcting inaccuracies, don’t hesitate in reaching out for help.
A great place to start is Lexington Law Firm. They have packages to suit varying needs – so no matter what your credit situation is, they’re the right people to call.
Here are my 5 top tips to increase your credit score so that you can reach your goals and then some!
How To Increase Your Credit Score
Pay Your Bills On Time
It sounds simple but So. Many. People. don’t do it. Listen, we’re all busy. We all have significant others, kids, pets, jobs, yada yada.
If you can’t remember to pay your bills just put ONE DAY in your calendar where you pay them ALL at once. Or put them on autopay – easy peasy (lemon squeezy, as we like to say). There are literally apps for everything – find an app you love and use it!
*Note* If apps are your jam check out the Lexington Law app where you’ll always have access to credit information at your fingertips.
Take Advantage Of Your Free Yearly Credit Report From Each Bureau
If you weren’t already aware, the 3 major credit unions offer 1 free credit report every single year. The credit bureaus aren’t perfect.
Mistakes happen and it’s possible to have negative marks on your credit that are incorrect. Simply having these inaccuracies removed can instantly increase your credit score.
Fun fact – Every year people are denied home loans due to errors on their credit report – I know from experience as a realtor 🙂 It’s a perfect example as to why you want to stay on top of yours.
On average, It can take 4 months for inaccuracies to be corrected and by that time, your dream home is long gone.
There are several Acts that give you the legal right to dispute inaccuracies on your credit report and the credit repair process doesn’t have to be daunting. The professionals at Lexington Law have the tools to help make the process simple and stress free.
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Use Your Credit Cards REGULARLY
No, this doesn’t mean go out and spend carelessly buying things you don’t need. This means using your card for everyday necessities like groceries, copays, airfare, etc.
Making these purchases and paying them off IN FULL every month increases your credit score.
Pay Off Your Debt ASAP
You always want to have a “cushion” in your bank account, aka enough money to get by for 6 months in the event something happened where you couldn’t work.
However, if you already have that your next step isto pay down your debt as quickly as possible. High debt leads to more accrued interest and often… more debt.
For example: Say you have a credit card with a $10,000 balance. Run through the numbers and figure out how much you need to pay monthly to pay it off in 15 months.
If you need to put yourself on a budget every month to hit that number, then do it!
Request A Credit Line Increase
Ok, I know you’re thinking “Why on earth would I give myself another reason to possibly be MORE in debt?” But hear me out. First, let’s get the mental thing down. You WILL NOT spend any more than you have been, whether your card allows it or not.
If you have a high balance on your card and are close to being maxed out, that is worse for your credit than increasing the credit line and utilizing less. So you want to increase the credit line but USE LESS while also PAYING IT DOWN. Make sense?
