Your credit potential lives and dies by your FICO rating. You’ve probably heard that term but may not know what it means to you and your credit. In this article, we will go over some common techniques you can follow in order to start improving your credit score in 30 days.
What is My FICO Score?
FICO, or Fair, Isaac and Company, started in 1956. It is a data analytics company focusing on credit scoring services. Before 1956, you had to know someone to get a loan, or have a lot of collateral, or pay outrageous interest rates. FICO changed all that and allows people to get loans based on their history of paying back loans. FICO is a brand name, but credit reporting agencies either use My FICO or VantageScore.
The higher your FICO score the better loan rates are most of the time. Since your FICO score is very important, find out what you can do to start improving it right away. In some cases, you can start to improve your credit score in 30 days.
To have a FICO score, you must have at least one account open for six months or longer that has been reported to the credit bureau in the last six months. You cannot have a deceased person on the account. The report is not just late or missed payments, all formal loans are reported to the credit bureau.
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Guidelines to Build Good Credit:
You can get your FICO score very easily. You are entitled to one free report a year from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. You want one from each because they do not share data among themselves. To get your FICO report, contact:
TransUnion https://www.transunion.com
Experian https://www.experian.com
Equifax https://www.equifax.com/personal
On the report, you will see your score and a list of your creditors. There will be a section for all your open and closed accounts, defaults, bankruptcies, and any credit inquiries for the last seven to ten years.
Check this over very carefully. Mistakes happen. People often discover they have been victims of identity theft through their credit scores.
Generally, lenders prefer to see a 680 credit score or better. If yours falls below that, you can improve your credit score fairly quickly.
How to Improve Your Credit Score in 30 Days
Below is a step by step guide to start improving your credit score right away. In some cases, this can take longer than 30 days to see positive results.
Step 1: Request your annual reports and examine them carefully.
Step 2: Correct any errors you find. This is a lengthy and difficult process but stick with it.
Step 3: If you have late payments, make them up and then stay current on your bills.
Step 4: Pay off smaller balances.
Step 5: If you are in collections, contact them to see what you can do to resolve the issue. The collection report will stay on your report for seven years, but it won’t have as big an impact.
Step 6: Remove older, closed accounts. You need some of these older accounts to show that you do pay off your debts, but too many are a red flag.
Step 7: Ask your credit card company for either a lower interest rate or an increase in your credit limit. DO NOT use that increase for more purchases!
Step 8: Get secured credit cards. These require a deposit to show that you can pay off the card.
Step 9: Try to have no recent revolving balances (unpaid balances).
Step 10: Remove credit inquiries.
How to Remove Credit Inquiries Fast
Whenever you apply for a job, fill out credit card paperwork or even get a new cell phone, the company will usually do a “hard” inquiry on your credit. Each time this happens, it could drop your score by five points and stays on your credit history for two years.
To remove credit inquiries from your credit report
How Long Does It Take to Improve Your Credit?
You can make improvements to your credit score in 30 days. To make larger, more significant improvements will take time. A bankruptcy will stay on your report for at least six years and has a huge impact on your score. Missed payments and defaults take about 18 months to be considered less important.
My Fico Summary
The simplest way to maintain at least a 680 credit score is to pay your bills on time, use credit wisely, and avoid getting into debt in the first place. Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done. If you need help, a reputable debt settlement company like Pacific Debt, Inc can help.
Pacific Debt, Inc offers a FREE consultation. Their debt specialists will perform an in-depth analysis of your debt and advise you on your options. They ensure that you understand all the program details. Depending on your financial situation, Pacific Debt, Inc works directly with you to become debt free in less than two years. The company does not make money unless your debt relief program works for you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by contacting Pacific Debt for your free consultation.
Our Debt Specialists can help you explore your alternatives to bankruptcy, including
debt consolidation and debt settlement options.
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