3 Focus Areas: How Can I Raise My Credit Score 100 Points?
Whether you are trying to increase your score by 50 points or get a nice boost of 200 points, there are some specific rules that apply. With these rules, you know to the answer to “How Can I Raise My Credit Score 100 Points”.
- Credit Utilization accounts for 35% of your credit score
- Payment History is 30% of your score
- Credit Age (how long has this line of credit been open) makes up for 15%
- Diversity of credit lines accounts for 10% (having a mix of revolving and non-revolving credit)
- Hard and Soft Inquiries represent another 10%
Then it times to create a plan, set your rules (i.e a budget) and execute. Yes, you can raise your credit score with purpose but not overnight.
The first step to any plan is to get your credit report. If you decide to hire a credit repair company (they will pull one for you) or go at it yourself, at Experian or AnnualCreditReport.com (it’s free).
Want Help Removing Items Off Your Credit Report?
How Can I Raise My Credit Score 100 Points
1. Out With The Old, In With The New and Maintain The Good
Take care of the most obvious point first. The errors.
Your credit history represents 35% of your overall scoring and errors account of millions of people’s credit score dipping when they aren’t addressed.
Disputing these and getting them to remove can increase you score 50 points alone (sometimes more). At all depends on your starting point.
Related: Can I Get Medical Bills Removed?
2. Master Your Credit Utilization Levels
Because credit to debt ratio makes up 30% of the credit score rankings, you want to keep it down. And keep in down consistently.
- Bring all past due accounts current
- Get revolving credit accounts reduced to 8.9%
- After checking for errors and disputing them: Pay collections, charge-offs, etc.
Related: Will Pay-For-Delete Increase My Score
3. Get A Secured Card With A Reasonable Limit
We have seen people jump 70 points with this tactic alone. Every situation is different so your credit may jump 20 points, or it can jump 75 points- you have to try it and figure it out.
You aren’t looking to go on a shopping spree so a credit limit of $500, maybe even less will do. Although, If you are disciplined with your finances, it wouldn’t hurt you to get a higher credit limit.
The card doesn’t have to be perfect. All you want to do is gain and establish god credit for your credit building efforts.
Related: Do Medical Bill Affect My Credit Score?
Bonus: Ask For An Increase
The goal is to increase your total credit card limit without increasing your debt. That means do not use the credit increase. Keep your usage low and your limit high!
Key Tips To Ensuring You Raise Your Credit Score By 100 Points
- Only spend what you have (use your credit card as a debit card)
- Stay Consistent (set alarms and reminders for due date) or…
- Set up Automatic Payments (Get Tally)
- Stay Current On Bills (create a budget that works for you)
- Track Your Score/Progress
- Be Patient
Related: How To Get Debt Consolidation
Want Help Removing Items Off Your Credit Report?
Wrapping Up
Every FICO score is unique, so there isn’t a one-trick fix all situations. The tactics above are well proven to raise your score significantly.
Know what factors make up the credit scoring algorithm like the back of your hand, and you will be sure to make changes as you must over time.
Be diligent, resourceful, and patient (but, act now on all that’s listed above. It’s not like boosting your score by 10 points)
