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3 Tips to Raise Your Credit Score (And Avoid Scams)

December 27, 2019 by Kelly 54 Comments

This is a guest post. Josh Wilson, is a Millennial working to achieve a perfect credit score. Josh loves improving his score and maximizing the benefits of great credit. That is why he is writing today about the 3 tips to raise your credit score and avoid scams!

A credit score is a numerical number that represents a person’s credit files, based on their credit-worthiness. The number comes from credit reports that credit bureaus create, based on the information they receive from banks, credit card companies and lenders to determine a person’s potential risk.

Tips to Raise Your Credit Score

While there are several ways to positively raise a credit score, there are just as many scammy services online that claim to help raise credit. In addition to online advertisements, some people also fall for the small, political-like signs on the side of the road that prey on those with poor credit.

Credit Scoring Scams to Avoid

According to Forbes, there are four costly credit score scams that should be avoided. While there are reputable credit repair companies that charge a fee to help individuals dispute or remove inaccurate information on a credit score, there are just as many scammy credit repair companies.

If a credit score company promises to remove negative information from your credit report, even if the information is true, this is a scam. Next, if the company asks for a fee upfront, it’s also a scam, as federal law requires services to be completed before payment is due for credit repair.

Finally, if they promise to create a new credit identity or ask you to sign any blank paperwork, it is likely a scam company. New credit identities means falsifying information and blank paperwork could mean anything, so don’t trust any company who asks you to do anything of these things or makes similar false promises.

Now, let’s discuss three ways to actually raise your credit score…

Tips to Raise Your Credit Score 2

1. Lowering Your Credit Utilization

Essentially, credit utilization means the ratio of credit card balances to your limits. If your balance is $400 and your credit limit is $1,000, then your credit utilization for that credit card is 40 percent. Obviously, the best way to keep your percentage down would be to pay the credit card, but there are other ways to improve the ratio.

Since a high credit utilization can hurt your credit score, one way to lower your ratio would be to ask for a higher credit limit. This way, you can lower the ratio even when you don’t have the money to pay more money all at once. You could also transfer your balance onto a non-revolving product such as a personal loan, as taking out a loan can improve your credit.  However, if you feel like you may then spend more, this could mean simply digging a deeper hole.

Tips to Raise Your Credit Score 4

2. Checking Your Credit Report for Inaccuracies

As we mentioned in the scam section, there are real credit score companies who can help you dispute false claims, but no one can remove a true negative score. That is, unless, you make things right with the company or lender involved.

Let’s say, for example, you owe an apartment complex $1,000 for a move-out fee or some damages to an apartment. If you’re looking to move into another apartment and they find this claim on your credit score, it’s possible that they could let you pay that former apartment, bring in proof, and allow you to lease the new apartment.

While this will not remove the poor review from your report, it is one way to bypass the problem. That said, if something similar happens but the name on the report isn’t actually you, this could be identity fraud. Under the FCRA, both the credit reporting company and the information provider will need to correct the report.

Tips to Raise Your Credit Score 3

3. Setting Up Automatic Payments to Avoid Late Fees

While credit card companies do make extra money on late fees and high interest charges, they still want their customers to be able to make automatic payments to make life easier on both sides. To set up an automatic payment with your company, visit the website, app, or call to ask about automatic payment systems.

Generally speaking, most credit card companies will have you automatically pay some small amount, such as $25 a month or so, in order for you to be listed as paid that month. However, there are other options, especially if you have a larger balance or larger purchases. It’s possible to set up full monthly payments on some plans.

Tips to Raise Your Credit Score 5

Avoiding Scams and Improving Credit

While there are scammy services out there that may offer to remove negative scores, take a fee upfront, change an identifying number, or have you sign blank paperwork, there are also actual companies who can remove negative scores if the information is truly false.

Besides hiring outside help, individuals can lower their credit utilization, check their credit score for inaccuracies, and set up automatic payments to avoid late fees in order to improve their credit scores over time.

Do you have any tips to improve your credit score? I would love to hear them in the comments below!

Filed Under: House & Home Tagged With: credit, finance, finances, home buying, money

About Kelly

Hi! My name is Kelly. I am a Southern mom, autism advocate, camera bug, foodie & crafter. Never miss a budget friendly recipe, DIY/craft project or fun tip

Comments

  1. Carrie & Shannon says

    August 10, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    Great tips! It’s so important to work on your credit when you’re young but feels so hard to do! I do my best to keep a close eye on my credit card spending and set up automatic payments so I never miss anything!

    Carrie & Shannon
    YouMeDC.com

    Reply
  2. Jenna Wood says

    August 10, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    I’ve raised my credit score by 80 points in the past 2 years and it’s definitely been a lot of work. I wrote a lot of letters demanding things be removed from my report- they were either long paid off or fraudulent!

    Reply
  3. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    August 10, 2017 at 4:55 pm

    I regularly check my credit with one of the free credit score report websites. I know this doesn’t protect me (I use something else for that) but it does help me see what’s going on with my credit.

    Reply
  4. Vera Sweeney says

    August 10, 2017 at 5:04 pm

    These are awesome tips! Your credit score is the key to everything! You have to stay on top of it if you want make sure your finances stay in order.

    Reply
  5. Mary Songer says

    August 10, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    I like to have a set time every week to pay my bills. I don’t let them pile up. Pay your bills on time.

    Reply
  6. Jeanette says

    August 10, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    I have been working on my credit for a while and I have been doing everything that you said here. It really helps! I had a few inaccuracies on my record and so I changed those and my numbers went up fast.

    Reply
  7. Cassie says

    August 10, 2017 at 6:39 pm

    We have a slightly different credit system here in Australia but the sentiments are still the same. I used to work in credit collection for a huge telecommunications company and we regularly spoke with customers who were denied bank loans all because of a $400 phone bill they never paid and were black listed (our system here in australia doesn’t contain a score but rather you either have good credit or you dont, and are therefore blacklisted!).

    Reply
  8. Brenda Kight says

    August 10, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    This information is something everyone should take the time to know. There are so many scammers out there it is scary!

    Reply
  9. Karen Morse says

    August 10, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    I hate having to deal with a poor credit score so I make sure to keep all my finances in check, especially my expenses when using our credit cards. These are great tips!

    Reply
  10. Michelle Gwynn Jones says

    August 10, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    I really need to pay better attention to my credit rating. Sometimes I check it and its gone down (not much) and I can’t figure out why. Maybe if I check it more often I would catch it happening

    Reply
  11. Sadie says

    August 10, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    These are great tips! I don’t do automatic payments but lowering utilization and disputing items on my report have helped a lot

    Reply
  12. AnnMarie John says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    I take very good care of my credit score. I don’t like owing money and spending more than I can afford. I think these are awesome ways to raise your credit score!

    Reply
  13. Ali || Veggies by Candlelight says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:12 pm

    We do automatic payments for all of our credit cards, so at least the minimum payment is made and usually, we make more if it’s got a revolving payment.

    Reply
  14. GiGi Eats says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    I am 30 years old and I just got a credit card and I am just now realizing what credit is all about! HA! #latebloomer

    Reply
  15. krystal says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    I am working on improving mine. I will use some of your tips to help!

    Reply
  16. Nancy Johnson Horn says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:52 pm

    We have good credit and we’ve worked very hard to maintain our good rating but I had no clue about the first two tips.

    Reply
  17. liz Cleland says

    August 10, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    I needed these because my credit hit a rough spot during my younger years. I think this will help tie up loose ends and get it back to a better score.

    Reply
  18. Shauna says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    These are great ways to help improve your credit score. People just have to remember it does take time regardless of the route you take and shouldn’t expect miracles, that’s how they get scammed.

    Reply
  19. Victoria says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    These are some fantastic tips and very important kek points on keeping your credit in check! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Pam says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    Having a good credit score is so important. These are great tips for improving your credit score.

    Reply
  21. Connie says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    These tips are great. It’s important to keep that credit score looking good.

    Reply
  22. Kathy says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    These are all great tips. I just got my first credit card last year. I honestly don’t use it very much at all. Just every few months for something small.

    Reply
  23. Sarah L says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    I have one credit card that I hardly ever use. When I do use it I pay it off in full.

    Reply
  24. Claudia Krusch says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    It is so important to keep track of your credit score. These are great tips for raising it. I will have to share this post with my Son who is just entering college this year.

    Reply
  25. Reesa says

    August 10, 2017 at 11:00 pm

    This is really great info. So many ppl have no idea how to do this.

    Reply
  26. Heather Johnson says

    August 10, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    All the scams out there really tick me off! We are working on getting rid of our debt to raise our credit score a bit.

    Reply
  27. Shelley R Zurek says

    August 10, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    I love the avoiding late fees tip. I don’t think it can be emphasized enough that paying the balance down and keeping it at 0 is the very best approach.

    Reply
  28. Sarah says

    August 11, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Great tips! Always good to avoid late fee’s. It’s hard to raise your credit score but I love the tips you have and show that it’s possible.

    Reply
  29. Melanie says

    August 11, 2017 at 2:27 am

    I need to set up the automatic payments. That’s a great idea! I try to stay on top of my finances, but things happen.

    Reply
  30. Lana simanovicki says

    August 11, 2017 at 2:40 am

    This is amazing info for me .I don’t know what kind of credit I have

    Reply
  31. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

    August 11, 2017 at 3:57 am

    Great tips! Very helpful for people who are careful with their credit score. Thanks!

    Reply
  32. Sherry says

    August 11, 2017 at 4:53 am

    I haven’t checked my credit score in a while. These are great tips that I will have to try.

    Reply
  33. Amy Desrosiers says

    August 11, 2017 at 6:25 am

    My husband and I just bought our second home thanks to our high credit scores. We practiced a lot of these tips to build our credit and keep it that way.

    Reply
  34. Margaret S Porter says

    August 11, 2017 at 6:49 am

    Im working on raising my credit score. Its hard work but will be worth it. Sadly I made mistakes when I was younger

    Reply
  35. mycraftingworld says

    August 11, 2017 at 6:51 am

    This is such good information. I wish the younger generation would learn to use cash. When the cash runs out… that is it. No more spending. That way their debt can’t grow. Thank you for giving them such good advise.

    Reply
  36. Tina says

    August 11, 2017 at 7:27 am

    These are great tips. I think so many people fear using credit cards with the thought they will hurt their credit score. Thanks for the tips on how to use them properly.

    Reply
  37. Jessica Joachim says

    August 11, 2017 at 7:50 am

    I think keeping track and checking often is super important. If you don’t keep track of it, you never know if someone has your number and is using fraudulently.

    Reply
  38. Ayana Pitterson says

    August 11, 2017 at 8:56 am

    I am glad you spoke about the scams. It’s really annoying that people would prey on the very people who are in trouble due to finances. These are some awesome and wise tips.

    Reply
  39. Shoshana Sue says

    August 11, 2017 at 11:23 am

    It is a pity that many people do not heed to such warning as removing negative information or making an upfront payment. People are so desperate to improve their credit score these days and ignore the obvious red flags.

    Reply
  40. Jennifer G says

    August 11, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    Having good credit is really important for the future. This is wonderful information to teach those that need to learn more about how to ensure their credit scores are great.

    Reply
  41. Mary Songer says

    August 11, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    It’s great to see a millenial taking care of their credit right from the start! All our kids should be taught about credit and how to use it. Good post!

    Reply
  42. Cindy Ingalls says

    August 11, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    After having so many cards for so many years I closed many of them. It did lower my score for a bit, but now I feel more in control of my spending. Less cards is so much easier to manage.

    Reply
  43. Kristina says

    August 12, 2017 at 9:36 am

    These are great tips! Especially automatic payments. I have that for my car and utilities. I think a lot of people are just unable to utilize this method because they may be short on funds to pay the bill when due.

    Reply
  44. Dana Rodriguez says

    August 12, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    This is a great post. It is so important to have a good credit score. I always kept away from the cards that asked for a deposit or had crazy interest rates.

    Reply
  45. Rachel Catherine says

    August 12, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    Making automated payments really helps. You just have to make sure you have it set for the right amount of months so you don’t over pay or under pay.

    Reply
  46. Ron Leyba says

    August 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    Great tips you got here. For sure many will find this very helpful. Love it!

    Reply
  47. Cynthia Schmied says

    August 18, 2017 at 12:49 pm

    very good advice that I could have used about 30 years ago. We are now working on getting out of debt but it has not been an easy process.

    Reply
  48. Holly Wass says

    August 20, 2017 at 9:44 pm

    Staying out of debt is a daily decision, sometimes we win

    Reply
  49. Sarah L says

    August 26, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    My mortgage is paid off. I buy only when necessary. I use thrift stores when I need something.

    Reply
  50. Mary Songer says

    September 2, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    this post is a good reminder to check your credit report on a regular basis. I’ve bee guilty of not checking mine. You don’t want to apply for credit sometime and be surprised at your number. Plus knowing your number means you can’t be fooled into thinking you have bad credit and have to pay a higher interest rate.

    Reply
  51. Mary Songer says

    September 5, 2017 at 8:01 pm

    Make sure you pay your bills on time. The tip to set up automatic payments is a great one. I do that with my credit.

    Reply
  52. Rosie says

    September 19, 2017 at 10:37 am

    I know seniors’ credit scores can be lower for lack of having any loans, etc. that you are demonstrating an ability to be paying on time. Don’t close cards that you don’t use, it can lower your score.

    Reply
  53. Patricia Green says

    October 29, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    I worked as a Loan Rep for some time. Let me say that these are great tips! #3 is so easy to do too!

    Reply
  54. mycraftingworld says

    March 12, 2018 at 7:28 am

    Credit is so important and tricky. You don’t want too much or too little. The best thing is to pay your bills in full, if possible, and pay on time. Don’t live beyond your means.

    Reply

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