Anytime you want to take out a loan, start a mortgage, or rent a new place lenders determine your trustworthiness by checking your credit score.
A credit score is calculated by your:
payment history
amounts owed
length of credit history
new credit
types of credit used
But what do you do if you have bad credit or no credit at all?
Here are some ways to increase your credit score.
Get A Starter Credit Card
Obtain entry-level credit cards with cash and little to no credit.
Secured credit cards and student credit cards are two of the best options.
Do: Pay off your balance each month.
Do not: Apply for too many cards.
Did you know?
Pay Your Bills On Time
Your credit score drops each time you make a late payment.
Your credit score grows each time you make a payment on time.
Become An Authorized User
Ask a family member you trust if they would be willing to add you as an authorized user to their credit card.
This will establish your credit history back to when they first got the card: a great option for people with little to no credit history.
Quiz
Ezra wants to ask a family member if they would be willing to add him as an authorized user, he should ask someone who:
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Report Your Rent Payments
If you rent, you should be raising your credit score when you pay rent each month.
Unfortunately, it is not standard practice for landlords to report your rent payments to credit bureaus.
Companies such as PayYourRent or RentTrack report your rent payments to credit bureaus, raising your credit score each time you pay your rent.
Take Out A Credit-Builder Loan
This type of loan is low to no risk to the bank because they keep your borrowed money in a savings account until you fully "repay" the loan.
Each time you make a payment on time your credit score will grow.
Do: Make each payment on time to grow your credit score.
Do not: Miss a payment and damage your score.
Co-sign A Loan
It can be difficult to get a loan with bad credit or no credit.
Co-sign a loan with someone you trust (and who has good credit) to further build your credit score.
Make sure you know they will pay it off on time or both of your credit scores will go down.
Pay More Than The Minimum Payments
Whenever possible, pay more than the minimum due for debt payments. This will help you:
build credit
pay off debt faster
reduce the amount of interest you pay over time
Paying off your debt in full each month is one of the best things you can do to grow your credit score.
Quiz
Alex wants to increase her credit score, she should NOT:
Take Action
Having good credit makes life a lot easier.
To establish good credit or improve bad credit:
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