Rebuild. Restore. Rise Again.

1. Review Your Credit Report

Obtain a copy of your credit report from all three major bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can get one free report every 12 months from each bureau by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.

Review your reports carefully for errors and dispute any inaccuracies — even small mistakes can harm your score. Fixing these issues can substantially raise your credit score.

2. Challenge Inaccuracies in Your Credit Report

One in three people find errors on their credit reports. You can dispute and request removal of inaccurate information. File disputes online or by mail with each bureau, providing documentation. They must investigate within 30 days or remove the disputed items. Monitor your reports regularly to ensure no new negative entries appear.

3. Repay Your Debts

Your payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO® score. Repaying outstanding debts reduces your utilization ratio, which makes up 30%. Prioritize high-interest balances first and use methods like the Debt Avalanche or Debt Snowball to stay consistent.

4. Allow Time for Negative Entries to Be Removed

Negative marks like bankruptcies or late payments will eventually fall off. Focus on adding positive entries — consistent, on-time payments — so that when negatives expire, your score rebounds stronger.

5. Pay Your Bills on Time

Paying on time is the most critical factor in credit scoring. Set up autopay to avoid late payments. Even a single missed payment can undo months of progress. Always pay early when possible.

6. Keep Your Credit Utilization Low

Keep balances under 30% of your credit limits. If possible, pay off cards in full monthly. Low utilization demonstrates strong financial management and keeps your score healthy.

7. Maintain Open Credit Accounts

Keep older accounts open to extend your credit history, which makes up 15% of your score. Use small recurring charges and pay them off monthly to keep accounts active. Close only those with high annual fees.

8. Get a Secured Credit Card

A secured credit card requires a refundable deposit that becomes your credit limit. Responsibly using it helps build your credit history because payments are reported to all major bureaus.

9. Get a Credit Builder Loan

Credit builder loans hold your payments in a bank account and release them when the loan is repaid. On-time payments improve your history and demonstrate financial responsibility to future lenders.

10. Become an Authorized User

Ask a family member or friend with good credit to add you as an authorized user on their card. Their positive payment history is added to your file, improving your score. Be responsible — don’t use their credit unless you can pay it back promptly.

11. Use Nontraditional Credit Reporting

Services like Experian Boost or rent-reporting programs can add on-time utility and rent payments to your credit profile, building a positive history.

12. Only Obtain Credit When Necessary

Each credit application creates a hard inquiry that may lower your score a few points. Limit new applications and space them out to preserve your credit age and strength.