FICO scores range from 300 to 850. You get better mortgage rates and terms when you have a good score. When your FICO score is poor, it is due to bad credit. Fortunately, there are excellent ways to repair bad credit score and improve your FICO score.
However, before you begin the process, it is crucial to keep in mind that there is no quick or easy way to improve a credit score.
In fact, it is highly likely that quick-fix efforts will not work when it comes to ways to fix a credit score. Manage your credit responsibly to rebuild your credit history, and improve your credit score, and ultimately, your FICO score.
3 Important Things to Do to Improve Your Credit and FICO Score
Here are three important things you can do right now to repair your credit score and improve your FICO score.
- Make Timely Payments: The first thing you should do to fix a credit score is set up payment reminders, which some banks offer through their online banking portals. You could also enroll in automatic payments through your loan and credit card providers so that payments can be automatically debited from your bank account. One of the key factors to your credit scores is making timely credit payments.
- Reduce Debt Amount: Although this is easier said than done, it is crucial to lower the amount of debt you owe. The first step is to stop using your credit cards. Make a list of all your accounts using your credit report and check recent statements or go online to determine the amount you owe on each account and the interest rate you are being charged.
Create a payment plan that pays debt to cards with the highest interest rates using most of your available budget, while maintaining minimum payments on other accounts.
- Stay Current on Missed Payments: If there are payments you have missed, get and stay current on them. The more your FICO score should increase, the longer you make payments on time after being late.
Poor credit performance will not haunt you forever because older problems with credit count for less. As time passes and good patterns of payment show upon your credit report, the impact of past problems with credit on your FICO scores fade.
With time, effort, and a good plan, it is possible to fix bad credit and improve your FICO score. You can give your FICO score a boost and gain all of the benefits that come with it. Just make sure that you stick with the plan to maintain solid credit payment habits and build your credit score.