Check Your Credit Report & Fix Any Errors

First, check on the current status of your credit. This will give you insight into what improvements need to be made. Thanks to credit bureaus such as TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, you can easily request a free copy of your credit report online. Keep in mind that errors can pop up in any of these reports you’ll receive, negatively affecting your credit score. You will need to dispute these individually in order to get them resolved.

Wondering what a “good” credit score is? Lenders typically use VantageScore 3.0 and FICO® 8 to gather accurate information. Scores can range from 300-850, the higher end being the better side. The lower end of this scale is considered poor, so you’ll want to work to improve this as best you can — the higher the better!

Stay Below Your Credit Limit

Overspending is a big no-no if you’re trying to improve your credit. This is because 30 percent of your score is determined by credit utilization. Many people who have great scores tend to utilize less than 30 percent of their available credit — stay within this range if you can.