5 Smart Ways to Boost your Credit Score

Published on: 12 May 2017 Last Updated on: 29 October 2024
Credit score

It’s a myth that you have a single credit score.

You probably know that your three-digit credit scores based on the information of your credit reports are a major factor in deciding whether you get a loan or not.

Your credit score can influence everything; from interest rates to your rentals, premiums, and even job eligibility too. Also, the interest rate you are going to pay for loans, mortgages, and credit cards is determined by this score.

When you have a good credit score; the lenders easily lend you the money that too at lower rates than others.

Your credit scores are not static and improving it can take time; from a year to two years- depending on the kinds of changes needed to be made. With the interest rates going high every day; it is essential to get started for improving your credit score if it is not high as it should be. Here are the five smart ways, which you can use to boost your credit score quickly and in an efficient manner.

Check Your Credit Reports

With so much running in your previous credit history; now, it’s a good time to get your credit report from the best credit bureaus, which will make sure that your report is correct and is reflecting your proper borrowing activities.

If you find an error in any of the reports, you have to go through all the necessary steps of removing it.  Start by calling the credit bureaus to report them the wrong information and by asking them to update it in your account.

Your credit score will considerably improve just be getting the negative information corrected.

Pay your Bills on Time

Well, your payment history reflects 35% of your score.

Not paying the bills on time is the biggest influence on your credit card score. Lenders report a late payment to the credit bureaus once the thirty days have passed from the bill’s due date. Also, one late payment stays on your credit report for seven years.

To avoid, keep an eye on all your credit card bills and set your important payments to auto-pay so that your mandatory bills are always paid. You need to pay you all the dues on time to improve your credit score in a matter of months.

Read also: Credit Card Fraud & The Holiday Season: Things To Consider For Next Year

Eliminate Credit Card Balances

Credit card balances come under the category of bad debt. Make a proper and step by step plan to waive off your credit card debt and overall utilization. One way is to make use of the 0% balance transfer offer. Another way is to use a personal loan to pay off your accumulated credit card debt. Loans and transfers work as a great option if you use the promotional period to pay the debt.

At last, you can gather all the credit cards and pay all the small balances off. Paying all your credit card will also reduce the amount of interest you are paying every month.

Don’t Apply for a New Credit

Whenever you apply for a new loan or credit, it generates a new entry on your credit report. Credit report entries are only the way how lenders come to know that you have been applying for the credits.

So, if you’ve applied for new credit; there is nothing you can do rather than waiting for them to disappear as these inquiries stay on your report for two years. It is recommended that you should not apply for new credits when trying to improve your credit score.

Even a small change can mean big improvements.

Keep your Old Accounts Open

Keeping your old accounts work will help you keep long credit history on your report. If you had debt on your old accounts and you have handled and paid it well makes good for your credit report.

It is very important to get the highest credit score possible as it has a huge effect on your financial life. Also, everyone’s score is unique, so there is no hard set of rules to improve your credit score. 

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Best Exchange Rates

How to Find the Best Exchange Rates

Traveling or trading with foreign currencies require additional fees, which often include surcharges for credit cards, commissions, fees for ATM, and others. Whether you are travelling to a new country for a vacation or considering expanding your currency portfolio, it’s no surprise that financial institutions are looking for ways to increase their profit in the long run. After all, each of them is technically running a business. If you are looking for a way to add more value to your money, there are ways on how you can find the best exchange rates almost effortlessly. Here are some tips to remember: 1. Research the Exchange Rate Beforehand: Exchange rates differ from country to country. There are countless online currency converters available, many of which come from reliable sources that are derived straight from the Forex market. If you are purchasing cash online via a mobile application, you may notice some additional charges that come with the conversion. To get the most of your money, consider searching for various cash apps with affordable transaction fees and compare them with each other before ultimately deciding which works best for you. 2. Plan ahead: For travelers who are visiting another foreign country, one of the best things you can do while preparing for the trip is to plan how much money you are going to need. After that, you can purchase your foreign currency ahead of time online instead of the last minute which usually requires costly delivery rates. Purchasing ahead also gives you a chance to see whether or not your payment has come through and allows the business the chance to confirm your identity. Purchasing currency online also saves time spent standing in lines and can be done as quickly as possible. 3. Use Credit and ATM Cards: ATMs abroad usually provide the best exchange rates when it comes to purchasing foreign currency which are usually 2-7% better compared to exchanging cash or traveler’s checks. During travel, it’s best to avoid using money exchange kiosks in public transportation areas and tourist spots. 4. Exchange Cash and Traveler's Checks: For people who may not want to use their cards for small purchases, exchanging cash and traveler’s checks is another way to find good exchange rates. However, be wary of exchanging them in tourist-filled areas like airports and train stations. Consider checking in banks and post offices. To get a proper exchange rate, read the postage rates very carefully and ask for the net rate that comes after commissions. It’s important to remember that commissions work in two ways: The commission that takes per percentage. The commission that is charged per item and transaction. To lure tourists, certain money changes that are not at banks or post offices will post the sell rate for the currency rather than the buy rate, which means you might be buying more than what you intend to spend. These money changers may also offer great rates exclusively for traveler’s checks or very large sums of money which can be dangerous to hand carry around. As an added precaution, be wary of exchanges in the black market which often include scams and counterfeit currency. 5. Watch out for hidden charges: Some companies may offer deals that advertise how much money you can save if you choose a specific delivery option, which actually includes extra hidden charges. To be safe, find out how much you are paying in total and exactly how much currency you will receive, changes with great exchange rates can be negated by commissions and handling fees. 6. Read the fine print: There are various apps and sites out there advertising the fact that they do not include transaction fees, delivery fees, and commissions. While this is very tempting, the last thing you want to do is to purchase a large sum of currencies only to realize that there are certain limitations and deductions. As much as possible read the fine print in the site’s terms of use. You can also call the company and ask some questions they may not address in their website. Conclusion: Dealing with foreign currency doesn’t have to be a hassle. As a currency trader or a traveller, one of the most important things you can do is actively research on a reliable business that stays close to the exchange rate without adding in extra hidden charges. While it may be time-consuming at first, learning to add value to your purchases is simply an investment you can’t avoid. Read Also: The Glitches Arrived In Travelling To New Place Tips To Help You Learn A New Language In A New Country

READ MOREDetails
Bitcoin

Does Bitcoin Harm the Environment?

One of the biggest concerns surrounding cryptocurrency, in general, is the impact that they have on the environment. In a world that is already struggling to catch up with the expectations that previous generations set, how much of an impact does Bitcoin make in the long term? Bitcoin Mining and Energy Bitcoin mining involves using a high-powered computer to solve a huge amount of cryptographic puzzles and problems, awarding bitcoins to the miner who operates that computer. This is a core part of how Bitcoin works and is also used to keep the blockchain behind it functioning. However, since computers need to become stronger and stronger to satisfy these requirements, they also need more power. Dedicated ‘rigs’ have been built that are focused on nothing but mining bitcoin, which consumes even more power at a faster rate. Over the last two years, Bitcoin mining caused an extreme spike in emissions, producing more than some countries would in the same length of time. While this is not an acceptable level, it also is not impossible to fix, and many people are already working on solutions. Renewable Energy Bitcoin mining has already begun to switch to renewable energy, with around 40% already having changed over. This does not sound like much, but it means that 40% of Bitcoin miners are using energy that is not going to pump CO2 into the atmosphere. This switch has helped a lot, but there is still more progress to be made. Until a massive proportion of Bitcoin mining is done with renewable energy, it will keep contributing to pollution and climate change. Elon Musk and Bitcoin While many people associated Elon Musk with Bitcoin, part of his reason for distancing Tesla from the currency was the Bitcoin environmental impact. Bitcoin had begun to create so much pollution that Musk actively suspended purchases using it, moving on to other cryptocurrencies instead. Considering that this came only a few weeks after he had announced buying almost $2 billion of Bitcoin, it was a surprising change, but one that made sense. However, Tesla has been open about the fact that they will return to using Bitcoin once it is more sustainable. The Future of Bitcoin Many people who are new to crypto often assume that Bitcoin means 'cryptocurrency,' even though there are plenty of other crypto options out there. This has led a lot of people to assume that every kind of crypto is just as risky, even though some are purpose-made to use sustainable options. This even includes Bitcoin itself, in some cases. The president of El Salvador tweeted about the state-owned geothermal power company using volcanos to create clean mining energy shortly after accepting it as a legal tender. This is meant to help keep Bitcoin circulating without those downsides. Bitcoin is not going away any time soon, but it will not return to the same level of popularity until it is cleaned up a bit. However, this also means that the price is lower now – people who are adopting sustainable mining options ahead of time will have plenty of Bitcoin before the next big spike. Read Also: Everything You Must Know About Bitcoin Circuit: Legal or Scam The Profit Revolution: The Best Bitcoin Trading And Investing Platform Investing In Bitcoins: 5 Things You Need To Know

READ MOREDetails
slider-img

How to Get an Auto Loan at a Low Interest Rate

Unless you have the ability to pay for your brand-new car in cash, you’re going to have to find somebody that’s willing to give you a loan if you plan on buying a car or any other type of motor vehicle for that matter. Obviously, nobody wants to pay an arm and a leg in interest if they do not have to. So it’s in your best interest to take the necessary steps to find a low interest auto loan. Getting the best rate is just a smart thing to do financially speaking. With that in mind, we will now take a look at some of the best ways to go about getting a low interest auto loan. Please use these tips to your ultimate advantage. 1. Get Interest Rate Quotes for Cars Online Even though there are plenty of traditional lenders that will have no problem offering you a loan for your new vehicle, it’s always best to use the Internet to find other, possibly better lenders to see if you qualify for an even lower interest loan. By using the Internet to your advantage, you’ll be able to tap into a comparison website that will provide you with many different competing auto loan quotes. So it’s not like you have to spend hours of your time digging through potential lenders, applying online, and then waiting for an answer. As a matter of fact, you can fill out one form and literally have hundreds of lenders get access to your information in a matter of moments. This is the simplest and easiest way to find out about potential auto loans when searching for a new vehicle. And if you use this technique to your advantage, you’ll be able to find some really low interest rate loans for your new car, which could literally save you thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the loan. 2. Fix Your Credit Score Your credit score will play a huge factor in whether or not you qualify for a low interest auto loan. The lower your score, the worse off you’re going to be. So you have to take the necessary steps to raise your credit score in order to qualify for the lower interest rate loans. If at all possible, pay down your credit card bills if you have any outstanding. You do not have to pay them off entirely, but lower your balance to below 30% of your available credit. By doing this, creditors will see a better picture and think you are a lesser credit risk. Plus it’s going to help raise your credit score as well. According to Bestcar.loans, a website sharing info about best bad credit auto loans, “Buying a new car can be an exciting experience. Therefore, when searching for a new vehicle, you want to make sure you have financing available to cover the cost.” Read also: How To Get A Loan On A Day With Bad Credit? 3. Qualifying for  Loan Even If You Have Bad Credit This might seem like it’s going to be impossible, but the truth is it’s going to be easier than you think to get a low interest loan for your vehicle even if your credit is bad. Ideally, you’re much better off having a higher credit score. But if you do have a negative credit history, you can still make this happen. Most important of all, you definitely have to keep your options open. Forget about only contacting the biggest lenders. You have to start thinking outside the box and contact lenders that you may have never even heard of. By keeping your options open, you should be able to eventually stumble across a lender willing to offer you lower interest rates on your auto loan. Just keep at it and don’t give up until you find the best auto loan to meet your needs. Please use these tips to avoid making costly car loan mistakes.

READ MOREDetails