Improving Your Credit Score FAST, Improve
Credit Rating
It's virtually impossible
to change your score in the time between when most people
decide to buy a home or refinance their mortgage and
when they apply.
So the short answer is, you really can't "on the
spot." But there are strategies you can live with
to make sure when you apply for a loan your score is
as high as possible.
Make sure that the information
each of the three credit reporting bureaus
has on you is consistent and up to date. Order a copy
of your credit report about once a
year, and dispute any inaccuracies.
Note: Theoretically, if a series
of credit reports is requested on your
behalf during a limited amount of time, your score goes
down until time passes without any inquiries. Changes
in the law though have made "consumer-originating"
credit report requests not count so
much. Also, a series of requests in relation to getting
a mortgage or car loan is not treated the same as a
number of credit card requests in a limited time. This
is because the credit bureaus, and lenders, realize
that people request their own credit reports
to keep up with what's on them, and smart consumers
shop around for the best mortgage and car loans.
Unsolicited credit card solicitations
in the mail don't count against your credit
report, so don't worry.
The two main components of your
credit score are your payment history and the amounts
you owe. Bankruptcy filings and foreclosures, which
can stay on your credit report for
as many as 10 years, can significantly lower your score.
It's never a good idea to take on more credit than you
can handle.
Late payments work against you.
It's extremely important to pay bills on time, even
if it's only the monthly payment.
Don't "max out" your
credit lines. Since the size of the balance on your
open accounts is a factor, lower balances are better.
It's said that by carefully
managing your credit, it's possible to add as much as
50 points per year to your score. |