Can you improve your credit by 100 points?
If you’re struggling trying to improve your credit, you’re better positioned to quickly make gains than someone with a strong credit history.
Is a 100-point increase realistic? Rod Griffin, director of public education for credit bureau Experian, says yes. “The lower a person’s score, the more likely they are to achieve a 100-point increase,” he says. “That’s simply because there is much more upside, and small changes can result in greater score increases.”
And if you’re starting from a higher score, you likely don’t need a full 100 points to make a big difference in the credit products you can get. Simply continuing to polish your credit can make life easier, giving you a better chance of qualifying for the best terms on loans or credit cards.
Here are some strategies to quickly improve or rebuild your profile:
1. Pay bills on time would improve your credit
No strategy to improve your credit will be effective if you pay late. Why? Payment history is the single biggest factor that affects credit scores, and late payments can stay on your credit reports for seven years.
If you miss a payment by 30 days or more, call the creditor immediately. Arrange to pay up if you can and ask if the creditor will consider no longer reporting the missed payment to the credit bureaus.
Even if the creditor won’t do that, it’s worth getting current on the account ASAP. Every month an account is marked delinquent hurts your score. Fortunately, the impact of a missed payment fades over time. Showing lots of positive credit behaviors after a misstep can help offset the damage more quickly and eventually improve your credit.
If you’re simply not able to pay everything on time, know how to prioritize your bills. Look into financial assistance offered in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
2. Make frequent payments
If you are able to make small payments — often called micropayments — throughout the month, that can help keep your credit card balances down and improve your credit. Making multiple payments throughout the month moves the needle on a credit score factor called credit utilization. After payment history, this is another factor that highly influences your score.
If you’re able to keep your utilization low instead of letting it build toward a payment due date, it should benefit your score right away. (You can track your credit utilization on each card and overall by viewing your credit profile with NerdWallet.)
3. Ask for higher credit limits it helps you to improve your credit
When your credit limit goes up and your balance stays the same, it instantly lowers your overall credit utilization, which can improve your credit. Call your card issuer and ask if you can get a higher limit without a “hard” credit inquiry, which can temporarily drop your score a few points. If your income has gone up or you’ve added more years of positive credit experience, you have a decent shot at getting a higher limit. Some issuers may also be willing to work with you during the COVID-19 crisis.
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