Three Simple Tricks for Raising A Credit Score

Drive-up meals, overnight service, and quick fixes; in our culture of impatience, we want things to happen quickly. The same mentality is common when it comes to increasing our credit score. We all know it is important to have as high a score as possible and that when practiced over a long enough time period, a dedication to using credit responsibly will cause your credit score to rise. But what if you want results sooner than that? If you are looking for an easy way you may be able to increase your credit score by a few points, here are three tricks of the trade:

1) Make your credit card payments just before the reporting date so your credit reports show the lowest balances. Your credit report should show when your creditors are submitting account updates to the credit bureaus. Make a note to yourself every month to pay your credit cards 3 to 5 days prior to when the accounts get reported. Your credit reports will then show the lower outstanding balance,instead of the balance after your last payment plus new charges added since the payment, giving your credit score a little boost.

2) Use old credit cards every once in a while. have a few older credit cards that were used only once or twice when purchasing that new flat panel TV, or a department store credit card you opened to get an extra 25 percent off your purchase. Take those cards out now and then and use them for small purchases you will be able to easily pay off the next month. These established accounts will show activity again which will help out your credit score.

3) Available credit is good, so keep your utilization rates at about 30 or less across all of your cards. For example, if your credit limit is $20,000, keep the balance below $6,500. Furthermore, 3 cards with a $3,000 balance on each is better than one card with a $9,000 balance balance, but better credit score. Although it seems like it shouldn't matter, it does and playing the game will help you achieve the best score.

So a few quick fixes are great, but it's going to take much more to restore a bad credit score. If you're looking to increase your credit score more than a few points, in less time than it would take for it to do so on its own, you'll need to look past tricks and simple fixes. Depending on your unique credit reports, repairing your credit score may require disputing questionable negative items on your credit reports, paying down high account balances, opening new credit accounts, reorganizing your credit accounts, or a combination of tactics.

Solving your credit score problems requires more than a quick fix. It takes time and perseverance to clean up your credit reports. It will be worth it in the end, and in a society where instant results are expected, credit repair proves that there are things worth working for.

Since 1991, Lexington Law, the trusted leader in credit repair, has been helping clients take action on their credit. For more information about Lexington Law or about your credit score, visit LexingtonLaw.com

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