How to Change Your Credit Score

Your credit score is vitally important because it can affect your ability to get loans and credit cards. It may also be taken into consideration when you apply for a job or attempt to get insurance. If your credit score is low, you can steps to improve it. If you follow the steps properly, you may be able to boost your credit score enough to make you more attractive to creditors, employers and insurers.

Instructions

1

Request a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. You are allowed to get one free copy per year from Equifax, Transunion and Experian. You can make this request online through the Annualcreditreport.com website.

2

Review your credit reports for any inaccurate or unverifiable negative information. This might include accounts that are being reported as late when they are really up-to-date or bad debts through companies that have gone out of business and would therefore be unable to verify the information.

3

File a dispute with each of the credit bureaus challenging the incorrect information. They must investigate the matter and if they cannot verify the information they must remove it from your credit report.

4

Pay your loans and credit card bills on time. The longer you maintain an on-time payment history, the higher your credit score will be. If you are late on even one or two payments, it will go down again.

5

Keep your credit card accounts open by making a small purchase two or three times a year and paying off the balance promptly. Closing credit card accounts can actually bring your credit score down.