Your credit score is one of the most important measurements of your financial health. This number helps show lenders how responsible you are at using credit and helps you get things like loans. To raise your credit score to a healthy level and keep it there, follow these 3 tips:
Review your credit reports
Regularly reviewing your credit report will help you understand what lenders see and let you report errors and incomplete information. Getting errors corrected as soon as possible will help your credit score. You can pull your credit report for free once a year with AnnualCreditReport.com
Pay all bills on time
Paying all bills on time, including loans, is a great way to raise your credit score as these payments make up much of your credit score. When possible, set bill payments to auto pay so you don’t miss a due date. Programs like 1st Advantage Bank’s SimpleView can help you track payments and set reminders
Limit credit requests
When you apply for things like a mortgage or car loan, a hard inquiry will take place. Hard inquires, or a “hard pull” shows your full credit history and can deduct points from your credit score, remaining on your credit report for two years. Too many hard inquiries in a short time can dramatically lower your score. This differs from a soft inquiry, which has no effect on your credit score and is used during prequalification approvals from lenders and background checks from employers.