The 8 Fastest Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

Having strong credit is important. With a high credit score, you'll have an easier time qualifying for a mortgage, a personal loan, or a car loan. Having good credit is also crucial when you're trying to rent a home, so it's in your best interest to boost your score as much as possible. Here are a few tips to do so quickly.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

Of the different factors that go into your credit score, your payment history carries the most weight, so paying all of your bills on time could have a seriously positive impact. Automating your bills is a good way to avoid being late due to carelessness, so see which of your accounts you can set to pay ahead of time.

Your credit utilization ratio measures the amount of available revolving credit you're using at once, and the lower is it, the more your credit score stands to rise. In fact, it's important that you keep that ratio at 30% or less, so if you're currently beyond that point, paying off some credit card debt could help your score climb.

Paying off your debt in a lump sum can be challenging, but if you make modest payments here and there as money allows, you may knock down your existing credit card balances sooner. That, in turn, can lower your credit utilization ratio and bring your score up.

Sometimes a credit report can contain erroneous information that hurts your credit score, like a debt you already paid off or a delinquent balance that was never yours in the first place. That's why it's smart to check your credit report for errors and correct those that work against you. You're entitled to a free copy of your credit report every week during the coronavirus pandemic from all three major bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

A lower credit utilization ratio will help your credit score improve. If you can't achieve one by paying down debt, try raising your credit limit instead, as it will effectively achieve the same purpose. If you're an account holder in good standing, there's a good chance your credit card issuers will agree to a credit limit increase.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

If your existing credit card issuers won't extend you more credit, another option is to open a new credit card with a generous spending limit. But don't open too many new cards at once, because that can actually hurt your score.

If your credit score isn't good enough to qualify for a new credit card of your own, see if a family member can add you to an existing account in good standing. That way, any positive activity recorded on that account will transfer to your credit record as well.

If getting a new credit card or becoming an authorized user on someone else's isn't an option, you can apply for a secured credit card. With a secured credit card, you put down a deposit equal to your spending limit. Then, as you charge expenses on that card and pay them in a timely manner, that positive behavior gets recorded on your credit record.

Having great credit puts you in a stronger position to borrow money when you need to. The good news is that boosting your credit score doesn't have to take years. The right moves on your part could result in a much more favorable credit score in just a few months' time.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.