5 things you can do NOW to raise your credit score

If you see your score dropping, don’t give up, there are very simple and easy hacks to raise your score.

How to boost my credit score

1. Update your personal information with all 3 credit bureaus

Ask them to remove old addresses and incorrect personal information. This includes variations of your name, social security number, birth date, telephone number(s) and employers.

Making this one 10-minute phone call could boost your score by 30 to 70 points, and increase your chances of removing other invalid or unproven accounts associated with those old addresses.

2. Dispute any inaccurate information and Items you don't agree with

Send the listed creditor a letter, demanding that they validate the item they are negatively reporting. Be sure to send a certified letter with a date-stamp and proof of receipt.

3. Get a secured credit card

When a credit card is “secured,” the money is deposited with the credit card issuer in order to open an account. The money deposited becomes your credit balance and is the amount you can spend on the card. Unlike other secured credit cards, that money can be used to pay off your monthly balances. Credit Builder has a great secured card for first time users.

4. Become an authorized user

To become an authorized user, ask a trusted family member or friend with great credit to add you to their account. Make sure you can rely on the account owner to pay their bill on time every month, and ideally that they pay their whole balance. Their credit card’s score will be calculated into yours, ultimately giving you a faster track to raising it!

5. Pay down credit card debts

Your utilization rate is a key factor of your overall credit score. If your credit card utilization is over 30%, begin to pay down the balance.