Five Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

Being denied a loan for a home or a car — or anything — can be very frustrating. No matter how you got to a less than ideal credit score or you just want to qualify for even better lending rates, there are strategies you can take to build your credit up. 

Here are a few suggestions to bump up your credit starting now:

1. Get Your Credit Report and Dig In

Knowledge really is power. Once a year you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report and score, but did you know that you can get yours for free, any time you like, through Online Banking with Credit Union West? Best of all, pulling your own credit information within Online Banking — like a report card for how you handle money — won’t impact your score. Simply log into Mobile or Online Banking and select 'Credit Score and Report' in the menu to sign up for your SavvyMoney Credit Monitoring tools for free, today!

It’s also a good idea to request one report from a different bureau like Experian or Equifax every four months so you can make sure there are no errors showing up on individual reports. Get these for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

If you see anything on a report that’s not correct, report it. A mistake could mean a lower score even if you did nothing wrong. Due to the global pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission has noted an increase in credit report errors reported by consumers and about 20% of all credit reports have mistakes. Be mindful when you inspect your report to ensure everything is accurate.

2. Automating Paying Bills to Boost Your Score

Your credit score is largely based on your payment history, accounting for about 40% of your score's rating factors. Even one late payment on a credit card can lower your score by as much as 100 points. That’s huge. And that’s why it’s so important to pay your bills on time, or even early, every month. One way to do this is to use online banking and set up automatic payments. 

3. Don't Max Out Your Lines of Credit

Lenders are less likely to approve you for additional credit when they see sky-high balances on your credit report. That means making an effort to pay down balances if you’re carrying them from month to month — and then refrain from maxing out your cards if you can help it. Owing more than 30% of your credit limit can be a red flag to lenders. You should instead aim to use between 10% and 30% of your total credit limit.

4. Use it or Lose it

If you don’t use a credit card every so often, your credit card issuer could cancel the account and that, in turn, could lower your credit score. If it was the card you held for the longest period of time, that’s a double whammy, because the length of your credit history is also factored into your credit score. The longer your relationship with your lender, the better it is for your score. To keep an unused card current, making even a small purchase once a month can help you avoid card closure.

5. Consider a Credit Union West Secured Credit Card

If you get turned down for a traditional credit card because of a low credit score or no credit history, you can try opening a secured credit card. This type of card allows you to give the issuer a certain amount of money up front, which becomes your credit limit. After a specified period of good financial history, you may qualify for a regular credit card.

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* Article courtesy of SavvyMoney
¹APR = Annual Percentage Rate. : Subject to credit approval. Approval is based on several factors, including borrower’s credit history.