What steps can you take to improve your credit score?

Your credit score can impact how easy it is for you to get a loan. If you’re in the market for a new car, mortgage, or even just trying to rent an apartment, having good credit can simplify all of these processes. Many factors can affect your credit score, and the best way to find out how you’re doing is by looking at your credit report yourself. It is essential to maintain good credit because it will enable you to buy a home with better mortgages terms. 
This blog will cover what steps you can take on your own to improve your credit score.  Five major factors go into calculating your credit score: amounts owed (30%), payment history (35%), length of credit history (15%), new accounts (10%), and types of credit used (10%). Focus on these factors to improve your credit score on your own. 

Improving your Credit on your Own

An essential step to improving your credit score is to ensure that all of the information on your credit reports is accurate by requesting and checking your current credit report. This report includes information such as your social security number and birth date. Also included is a list of open accounts, closed accounts that still appear, and public records such as tax liens or bankruptcies. 
According to a 2021 report, at least one-third of credit reports have at least one error on them. These errors can be as minor as a misspelled name or address or severe as having the incorrect number of credit cards reported, for example, reporting three card balances when there are two cards. Getting these errors corrected can improve your score by nearly 30 points.
Paying down high-interest debt will improve your credit score over time and help with paying back debts. When you owe money on high-interest credit cards, you must pay the balance of these accounts before paying any other outstanding loans. For example, say you have a $3,000 balance on a card with an APR of 18 percent and two different cards, each with balances of $1,000 at 0 percent. The balances of $1,000 can be paid off more quickly, but you should pay off the $3,000 balance first because you will pay around $118 of interest every month compared to the 0 interest cards. Paying down high-interest debt will improve your credit score over time and give you more money long-term to pay off other debts.
Having a good track record of paying back debts on time would give you a favorable rating. However, if you have a few late payments here and there, this could impact your ability to get loans or other financings down the road. You want to focus on paying back debt on time while gauging how much the debt you have is compared to available credit on your card. If you are overextending yourself by making purchases with your credit cards outside of your means, this could impact your ability to get loans in the future. Lowering your debt level shows lenders that you can manage your finances responsibly and within budget.
Closing cards lowers your available credit, which is one factor in determining if you can handle larger loans successfully. Closing old accounts with a positive history establish a lower limit for potential creditors to consider when extending their trust and offers. However, closing unused credit cards can be beneficial to your credit. When you close a card account, the hard inquiry will drop off your credit report after 12-24 months. Hard inquiries are impactful because most people are unaware that creditors and lenders constantly monitor their credit history. A single inquiry on your record can drastically reduce your chance for approval or may even result in increased rates at some institutions that practice “risk-based pricing.” Closing an old card with little usage allows you to remove the inactive accounts from your report. 

In the United States, there is a legal right known as “The Fair Credit Reporting Act,” which allows consumers to challenge inaccurate information on their credit reports. The process begins by collecting relevant evidence on your behalf. This includes collecting copies of reports from all the three major credit bureaus and checking them for discrepancies. Gathering evidence on behalf of the creditor is difficult, but not impossible, for most people to do themselves. Remember that the creditor’s documentation may be more persuasive than yours unless you show a pattern of behavior or irregularity in your disputed claims.
Your debt-to-credit ratio refers to how much of your available credit you’re currently using. This calculation uses the number of your outstanding balances divided by the total of your available credit limits. Let’s say you have a balance of $500 on a card with a limit of $1,000 — that’d make your debt 50 percent of your limit. Now suppose that same card has a limit of $1,200 and an outstanding balance of only $800 — now we’re talking about 60 percent utilization. Reducing your debt-to-credit ratio is a gradual process that’s nearly impossible to accomplish overnight. Still, the best thing you can do for it is make consistent and on-time payments while generally avoiding more credit accounts. You want to have 30% of your allowed credit available at all times to improve your credit rating by showing that you don’t rely on credit but can consistently pay it back without going over your means.
Credit scores are essential to your financial future. The more you know about how they work and what steps you can take on your own, the better off you will be for years to come. For example, making timely payments and watching what percentage of the total debt is paid off with each new payment. You can find this information in detail on any monthly statement that shows what types of debts have been settled or written-off. 
By following these tips, it may be possible for an individual’s credit score to increase over time as they continue paying down their balances responsibly and promptly at every opportunity. However, if you are having trouble managing this task alone – Movoto has helped countless people find affordable housing solutions since 1982. Contact Movoto today for all of your realty needs.