Good credit makes many things easier, such as purchasing new and used cars, buying a house, and applying for loans and credit cards. If your current credit score is too low for your liking, there are many ways to improve it in a relatively short amount of time. Review the following ways to boost your credit.

4 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Credit Score

1. Always Pay Bills On Time

Keep track of every bill in your name, including utilities, used car payments, and student loans, to avoid late payments that reduce your credit score. Frequent late payments make you seem unreliable and likely to continue your pattern in the future. Schedule automatic payments for your bills to reduce the risk of forgotten payments.

If it’s available, keep your credit card balances reasonable with micropayments throughout the month. Doing so lowers credit utilization or the percentage of available credit you use.

2. Get Copies of Your Credit Reports

Ask for copies of your credit reports from the major credit bureaus to help identify where you can improve. Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion® provide free credit reports on an annual basis. Dispute any errors immediately, such as an incorrect Social Security number or identity theft issue, to help boost your score.

3. Request Credit Increases

Call your credit card companies and provide your most recent income information. If you qualify for credit limit increases, but your balances remain the same, you can improve your credit score.

Ask if you can obtain limit increases via soft inquiries, as hard inquiries can lower your score by five to 20 points depending on the credit bureau.

4. Don’t Close Infrequently Used Cards

Keep your credit cards open, even if you don’t use them, and have paid them off. Unless they include annual fees, closing unused cards can increase credit utilization. Leave the cards open and apply for new accounts only if it’s necessary. Applying for too many new cards over a short period of time, such as six months to a year, can garner numerous hard inquiries that will impact your score.

Find the perfect used car at Express Motors in Dayton, OH. This pre-owned car dealership has served drivers throughout Montgomery County and the surrounding areas since 2005, offering an exhaustive inventory of used cars, trucks, and vans, including imported vehicles. Special financing and extended warranties are available. Call (937) 222-7777 today to speak with a representative or browse the used car selection online. For more announcements, follow them on Facebook.