How Can I Raise My Credit Score in 30 Days? – Checklist of 12 Easy Steps

When it comes to buying power, your credit score is one of the most important things to consider. Building credit and maintaining a good credit score is crucial for success whether you want to buy a home, finance a vehicle, and even get better rates on auto insurance.

If you are not sure of your credit score or what is on your credit report, now is the perfect time to learn more. If you know that your credit rating could use a bit of improvement, the 12 tips in our “How Can I Raise My Credit Score in 30 Days?” guide may help you do just that.

1. Request a Copy of Your Credit Report Today – Before you can even think about building credit and raising your credit score, you need to request a copy of your credit report. The government allows you to request a free credit report each year via their website.
2. Look for Negative and Inaccurate Reporting – Once you have a copy of your credit report, check it for inaccurate and negative information. Highlight this info so you can request changes and appeal this wrong information.
3. Pay Attention to Credit Inquires – Credit inquiries stay on your credit report for two years and can negatively affect your credit score. Disputing these inquires can lead to removal. Simply use the credit bureaus’ dispute system which requires the creditor to verify that you gave them permission to view your credit file. It’s likely they can’t. Your credit scores will improve quickly if removed.
4. Pay Off Credit Card Debt – Your credit score takes into consideration the ratio of your credit card debt to the credit limit of each card. Owing high debts on credit cards makes your credit score suffer.
5. Negotiate with Collection Agencies – If there are collection accounts on your report, contact the collection agency. Request a “pay-for-delete” so that when you pay the amount due, the negative account is deleted from your credit report for good.
6. Call Creditors About Late Payments – Sometimes simply calling a creditor and requesting that a late payment be removed is all it takes to have it deleted from your credit report. Call or send an email requesting the deletion.
7. Limit credit Inquiries – Since credit inquires directly affect your credit rating, avoid multiple inquiries while you are trying to quickly raise your credit score.
8. Make Payments Count – If a creditor will not make a “pay-for-delete” agreement, instead, pay down other accounts that will, so that you can raise your credit score faster.
9. Dispute Negative Info – The credit bureau has 30 days from the date of dispute request to investigate. If the creditor cannot verify the negative info, it will be deleted, and your score will be raised.
10. Become an Authorized User – When added to an account in good standing, becoming an authorized user means that the creditor will report the status of the account on your report as well as the account holder.
11. Do Not Make Any Additional Credit Purchases – Keep credit purchases to a minimum when building credit and trying to raise your credit score in 30 days, as spending more is a detriment to your rating.
12. Pay Your Bills on Time – The tried and true way to always have a good credit score is to pay your bills on time. Each month that your bills are paid when due, you are building credit and a solid financial history.

Earning and maintaining a good credit score is crucial for your financial success. Raising your credit bureau score can offer substantial rewards and shows you have valuable skills for money management. Contact your local credit union today to learn about how we can help you raise your credit score for a bright financial future.

Related: Are Your Finances Getting You Down? Time to Get Organized!