If you are one of the millions of Americans with a low credit score and are looking to improve it, there are some simple strategies you can follow to increase your credit score fairly quickly and easily. Even if you have tried to improve your credit in the past and failed, the simple tips in this article will help you easily increase your credit score by employing smart credit management.
These days, having a good credit rating is imperative. For a potential first-time home buyer, the difference in a couple of hundred points on their credit score could mean saving tens of thousands of dollars on their mortgage payments. For car buyers, it could mean the difference between an attractive 0{74755d553577f4b6a67c31abdd5acf6d2003392b8684840fa8d5e29ee9555d89} interest rate or paying thousands of dollars in finance charges. And even though there are so many benefits to having a good credit rating, some people just don’t know how to get started increasing their credit score. In this article, I’m going to teach you about what I call “smart credit management”. Follow these simple strategies and you will see a measurable increase in your credit score in just a few short months, guaranteed.
The first step to smart credit management is controlling debt. Although all of those new credit card offers you get in the mail every day can be attractive, you have to stop opening new accounts. New accounts mean new debt, and more debt equals a lower credit rating. Shred those special offers and credit cards as soon as they land in your mailbox. Do away with any unnecessary and unused credit cards. Keep your old accounts with good payment histories, as these have a positive effect on your credit score. Newer credit cards, even ones you may have opened within the last six months, should be paid and closed.
The second step to smart credit management is knowing your boundaries. If you have never sat down to do a household budget, now is the time. If you want to increase your credit score you have to be able to control the amount of money that you spend. Once you have calculated your monthly income, add up all of your monthly bills. Next, determine how many of these monthly bills you can settle with cash. The more monthly bills you can settle with cash, the less you’ll have to rely on credit from month to month. If you can break your reliance on credit cards, you can slowly pay down your balances which will help you increase your credit score.
The third and last step to smart credit management is to stop applying. Constantly applying for new lines of credit keeps a steady stream of inquiries posting to your credit report. If you want to increase your credit score, you’ll have to stop applying for new lines of credit and let the older inquiries expire and fall off your report.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. You’ll have to apply these simple techniques and stick to them to see results. But if you can weather the early storm and teach yourself to be less reliant on credit, the results will come. Just keep in mind that you are working toward financial freedom, and although it won’t be easy, the hard work will pay off eventually.
