How to Raise Your Credit Score
Four Ways to a Higher Credit ScoreImproving your credit can take time, often many months. But there are some things you can do to raise your credit score quickly, even if only by a few points.
Pay Bills on TimePayment history is the most important factor in FICO scores, accounting for up to 35 percent of a credit score. Paying your bills on time—regardless of whether it’s a credit card bill or a utility bill—can significantly improve your score.
Late payments stay on a credit report for seven years. The longer ago they happened, the less they affect credit scores. If a bill goes unpaid long enough, the debt can be sold to a collections agency and will get reported to credit bureaus.
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