9 Ways to Raise Your Credit Score

The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to get approved for a credit card, mortgage, or personal loan. If your credit score needs work, there are a number of key steps you can take to help it improve. Here are a few to start with.

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 calculating your credit score, your payment history -- the extent to which you pay bills on time -- carries the most weight. Paying all of your incoming bills by their respective due dates will help your credit score increase, and if you’re worried about forgetting, sign up for automatic payments when possible.

Your credit utilization ratio is another major factor in your credit score, and it measures the amount of revolving credit you’re using at once. Paying off some existing credit card debt will help that ratio shrink, thereby helping your score climb.

Just as it’s a good idea to pay off existing debt to boost your credit score, so too will avoiding new debt help your score land in good territory. Aim to reserve your credit cards for emergency use only and pay your incoming expenses in cash while you work on getting your score to a better place.

The higher your credit limit, the more debt you can carry without reaching the point of having too high a utilization ratio. In addition to paying down existing debt, try reaching out to your credit card issuers and asking for a spending limit increase. Just don’t make the mistake of charging up a storm once you get it.

You may be tempted to close out old credit cards that rarely get used, but unless those cards charge an annual fee, you’re better off keeping them around. The length or age of your credit history also plays a role in determining your credit score, and maintaining older accounts can work to your advantage.

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 credit needs some work, but you have a family member with strong credit and several credit card accounts in good standing, then it pays to ask that person to add you an authorized user to one of them. That way, your family member’s responsible spending history will become attached to your credit record as well. This is an especially strategic move if the credit card you get added to is one that’s been open for many years.

A secured credit card won’t give you much financial flexibility, but it’s a good way to boost your credit. With a secured credit card, you put down a deposit that’s equal to your spending limit on that card. Then, as you charge expenses on it and pay them off on time, that positive behavior gets recorded as part of your payment history.

The information the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) have on file for you may not be totally correct, and if there’s an error that’s working against you, fixing it could result in a pretty quick credit score boost. Imagine you’re listed as carrying a delinquent debt you paid off a year ago. It could be that your creditor never reported that payoff, which is a mistake you’ll want to fix. Best of all, you don’t have to pay to access your credit report. You’re generally entitled to a free copy every year, and during the coronavirus pandemic, you can get a free copy every week.

Each time you apply for a new loan or credit card, it counts as a hard inquiry on your record, which could lower your credit score. On the other hand, spacing out your loan and credit card applications will help you avoid a hit to your score.

Boosting your credit score often boils down to adopting responsible behaviors that also serve the important purpose of keeping your spending and debt in check. Having higher credit could open the door to more borrowing opportunities, and it could also make it easier for you to rent a home or even get a job, so it pays to make an effort to get your score into the best shape possible.

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.