If there is one question I’m asked by consumers more than any other about credit, it’s this “What’s the fastest way to raise my credit score?”.
My response is always the same “How much do you want to raise it?”
If you wish to increase your score from 580 to 650 then your strategy will be very different from someone wanting to go from 670 to 725. Why? Because you starting point is different which requires a different approach. Also, while the removal of negative items from a report will almost always lead to an increase in score, it’s a basic concept at best. Therefore, within this article, we’ll discuss somewhat inside techniques known by very few (since this is what our company specializes in publishing).
In relation to just removing negative items, these are techniques which you can use even if you have NO derogatory information on your credit report. We’ll start with the most overlooked strategy first and that’s your,
DEBT to CREDIT RATIO: The most fraudulent belief I’ve been hearing for over 15 years is “I have excellent credit, I pay all my bills off in full every month!” This is a false belief for one to buy into and understanding your debt to credit ratio holds the key to getting your “credit mindset” right.
Your debt to credit ratio is your ratio of debt to total available credit you have been extended (revolving accounts only).
For example. If you have $10,000 in total unsecured revolving credit accounts and you’re currently in debt $2500, then your debt to credit ratio is 25%.
Since the main way lenders make money is by charging interest, one of the elements of the credit scoring model is driven by your ability to maintain balances and pay over time.
This shows your true (long term) credit worthiness which is most profitable to lenders since they make money primarily via interest and not annual fees.
Over the years we’ve discovered without question that carrying the proper debt to credit ratio will boost your score faster than paying off your bills in full each month. I have argued with the Better Business Bureau on this topic and they still disagree (despite my sending them proof from Fair Isaacs own website www.MyFico.com the organization which invented the credit scoring software used by credit bureaus).
Of course, what do you do if you’re like most Americans and your debt to credit ratio is too high?
For example. You have $10,000 in unsecured revolving accounts but you owe $8500, thereby giving you an 85% debt to credit ratio. How can you bring it down without selling everything you own? The answer is simple and takes us to the next technique which is,
SUB-PRIME MERCHANDISE CARDS: The single most cost effective (and powerful) tool for consumers to increase their high credit limit and decrease their debt to credit ratio is the use of Sub-Prime Merchandise Cards which report to one of more of the major credit bureaus.
Unfortunately, despite their immense benefits, these are the most misunderstood cards in the credit industry. A large portion of the misunderstanding is due to marketers misrepresenting the cards and the growing number of companies promoting them. When you learn how they work one quickly understands why they have been the subject of much misrepresentation.
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