If you wish to save money, then having good credit is extremely beneficial. A consumer with a 700 FICO score can save $648 in interest on their credit cards on average. They can also save $1392 on their car loan and $2340 on the mortgage every year compared to consumers with a credit score below 620. (Data collected from a study by Card Hub)
Keeping such things in mind, we have come up with 8 tried and tested ways that can boost your credit score:
- Broaden your knowledge – The primary step in getting good credit is brushing up your credit score knowledge by understanding the basics of credit scores and credit reporting agencies.
- Make timely payments – A big chunk of the credit score is determined by our payment history. You should always make it a point of making timely payments even if you can afford to make a minimum payment. Past dues should be paid off first so that it becomes easy to gradually catch up on current payments.
- Stick to 30-40% of your sanctioned credit- While regularly using available credit is advisable, you shouldn’t use it all.
- Request a credit hike – Getting a credit increase will boost your debt-to-credit ratio even when you don’t pay down any outstanding debt.
- Get debt transferred to a personal loan – Credit card debt interest rate might be higher than that of a personal loan. You can boost your credit score by consolidating the high-interest debt into a single personal loan. Doing this can save you money in the long run.
- Don’t cancel credit cards – Cancelling credit cards can impose a detrimental impact on your debt-to-credit ratio and credit history. These constitute two of the five categories considered in calculating your credit score.
- Improve credit by getting fresh credit – You can sign up for a secured credit card if your credit is too low to qualify for one. A secured credit card functions like a gift card. You will have to put down a deposit which serves as your credit limit. For maximizing its positive effect on your score, you should ensure that the secured credit card you use reports to all the accredited credit bureaus.
- Take advantage of automatic payments – Life is getting busier for millennials with every passing day. Thus, you might forget an impending payment. Getting payments automated can help you divert your time towards more productive avenues. Once you automate the payments, you will simply have to update the credit card credentials whenever they get replaced or expire.
Join the bandwagon of thousands of RadCred borrowers who are attaining their financial goals.