I Have a Credit Score of 807: Here's How I Got There

Could you earn a score above 800 by trying my techniques?

Credit scores are created based on a record of past borrowing behavior, and they range from 300 to 850.

My credit score is currently 807, which is considered to be excellent credit. While this score fluctuates over time (it's actually down 12 points because I temporarily charged a lot on a credit card), my score has been above 800 for a while.

It took me some time and effort to earn great credit, but here's how I did it.

I set up autopay on all of my credit cards

One of the single most important things I did to earn good credit is to set up autopayments for every credit card and loan I have. I arranged for my payments to come directly out of my bank account to ensure I never miss one.

This was really important to me because I was accidentally late on paying a credit card in college when I lost track of the due date. This hurt my score for years, and I never wanted it to happen again. I not only have autopay now, but also a calendar reminder to check after my payment was supposed to have been made so I don't risk a black mark on my report that drags my score down again.

Since payment history is the most important factor in determining a credit score, this step alone made a huge impact in helping me earn great credit.

I regularly requested credit line increases

Credit utilization ratio also plays a crucial role in the credit scoring formula. This is the second most important factor after on-time payments. It refers to the percent of credit used relative to what is available.

I charge absolutely everything on my cards so I regularly run up large balances. While I pay my cards off in full each month, sometimes my card issuers report my balance before it's been paid down. As a result, this was hurting my utilization ratio because it looked like I was using a lot of my available credit.

To solve this problem, I request credit line increases every chance I get. I sign into my online accounts all the time, and whenever the option appears to request an increased credit line, I take that opportunity. As a result, I have one credit card with $95,000 in available credit and several others with large credit lines as well.

Since my credit limits are so high, it is very rare that I come close to exceeding the recommended 30% credit utilization ratio. In most months, I'm well below it (although, I did charge a large purchase prior to this article, which is why my score is down 12 points).

I took out a mix of different kinds of loans

Finally, I've made it a point to get a good mix of different kinds of loans on my credit report, as type of credit is also a factor in the scoring formula. I have a mortgage and several credit cards, but I also temporarily took out a car loan a few years ago which I paid off within three months -- just for the purpose of getting this added boost to my credit.

Taking out a loan solely to raise your credit score may not seem worth it, but I knew I'd be applying for a mortgage soon and I wanted to have the highest score possible before I did that, so it was worth paying a few months of interest at a low rate.

Each of these steps have helped me earn a great credit score, and I'll continue using these techniques to keep my score high for the foreseeable future.