by Susan Paige
Did you know that almost 40% of Americans admit to not knowing what their credit score is?
This obviously isn’t good! If you don’t know what your credit score is, it might be a lot lower than you think. This could prevent you from obtaining an auto loan, buying a house, or even getting a job.
You should get into the habit of checking your credit report and your credit score at least once each year. You should also find ways to give yourself a credit boost if you discover that your credit score is a lot lower than it should be.
You can bring your credit score up by staying current on credit card payments and by keeping enough available credit on hand. You can also do it by utilizing a bunch of clever credit hacks.
Check out some of the best ways to give your credit score a boost in a very short amount of time.
Check Your Credit Report for Errors
You should try to take a look at your credit report once every year to see where you stand as far as your credit score is concerned. But you should also do it to see if you can spot any errors on your credit report.
Studies have shown that about 20% of people have errors on their credit reports. Unfortunately, many of them don’t realize it, and it allows these errors to linger for a lot longer than they should.
If you ever find an error on your credit report, you can dispute it and have it removed right away. Taking this one little step could provide you with a much-needed credit boost and put you in a better financial position.
Take Out a Loan and Pay Off All Your Various Debts
Have you maxed out one or more credit cards?
This is likely having a huge impact on your credit score and dragging it down. Your credit utilization is going to be entirely too high, and it’s going to affect your credit score in a big way.
You can bring your credit card balances back down to earth by taking out a personal loan, a debt consolidation loan, or some other kind of loan. You can use the loan to pay down all your different debts and lower your credit utilization in the process.
Outside of providing you with a credit boost, taking out a loan can also make your debt a whole lot more manageable. You won’t have to worry about making multiple debt payments every month. You can make one payment on your debt, and in many instances, you can also get access to a lower interest rate than you would have otherwise.
Ask Your Creditors for a Credit Limit Increase
Let’s say that you’ve maxed out a credit card with a $5,000 limit. Having a $5,000 balance on a credit card with a $5,000 limit is going to bring your credit score way down since you’ll be utilizing 100% of your available credit.
One of the easiest ways to give yourself a credit boost is by convincing the creditor for that credit card to increase your credit limit. If you’re able to convince them to give you, say, a $7,500 limit on your card, your $5,000 balance will then only represent about 66% of your available credit.
The balance will still take a little bit of a toll on your credit score. But it won’t affect your credit score as much as it was affecting it before.
Not all creditors will increase your credit limit when you ask. But it never hurts to see if they would be willing to do it. It could make a big difference when it comes to your credit score.
See If a Family Member Will Make You an Authorized User on One of Their Accounts
Do you have a spouse, a parent, a sibling, or another relative who has great credit? You might be able to use this to your advantage if they’re willing to help you out.
Ask someone close to you if they would mind making you an authorized user on one of their credit card accounts. If they’re up for doing it, having your name listed on their account can benefit you and your credit score immensely.
When your family member makes you an authorized user on their account, it’ll make it appear as though you have a lot more available credit than you do at the moment. This will send your credit score skyrocketing in no time.
Learn More About How Tradelines for Sale Work
If you haven’t made the best financial decisions in the past, your family members might not feel comfortable adding you as an authorized user on their credit card accounts. And can you blame them?
But you shouldn’t let this stop you from trying to find a way to get added as an authorized user to someone’s account. You might just have to take a more creative approach to doing it.
You should take some time to learn about tradelines for sale. With tradelines for sale, you can pay to be added to an account as an authorized user. It’ll provide you with an almost immediate credit boost.
Just make sure you know what you’re signing up for when you utilize tradelines for sale. It’s important for you to educate yourself on how they work ahead of time.
Give Yourself a Credit Boost and Reap the Rewards of Doing It
A low credit score can affect your life in so many ways. It can make it difficult for you to borrow money for just about everything, and it can also hold you back professionally if you allow it to.
Stop living with a low credit score by giving yourself a quick credit boost. You can put any of the tips found here to good use and see results almost right away.
Would you like to find out other ways to bring your credit score up and keep it up over the long term? Read the articles on our blog to get some great advice on how to do it.
So, what do you think ?