A poor credit score affects your ability to borrow money or access certain goods and services. Fortunately, improving your credit rating takes patience and discipline, but it can be done! Whether you’ve recently encountered financial difficulties or you’d simply like to strengthen your financial profile, here are a few good habits you can adopt to take control of your credit rating.
- Understanding and analyzing your credit file
First of all, do you know how your credit score is determined? A credit score is a three-digit number, ranging from 300 to 900, assigned by credit rating agencies such as Equifax or TransUnion. Credit ratings enable creditors to assess your solvency and characterize your financial behavior. Note that a credit score is considered good when it reaches 670.
It’s very important to understand the elements that impact your credit score and to check your file regularly. In this way, you can ensure that you adopt good habits to avoid being penalized, especially in the event that you need to apply for a loan or access certain goods that involve a credit check.
- Avoid late payments
Your payment history is the criteria that carries the most weight in the evaluation of your file. If you miss the deadline for repaying your credit card, you risk penalizing your credit rating, as well as incurring fees that you’ll have to pay in subsequent months. If you find it difficult to make the required payment in full, make sure you pay back at least the minimum amount specified on your account to reduce the deferred charges.
- Use only a portion of your credit
Whenever possible, try not to use more than 35% of the credit you’ve been granted before paying it back. Reaching your credit limit is viewed negatively by creditors, as you represent a higher risk of defaulting on your loan.
- Keep your accounts open
Generally speaking, experience reassures creditors. The lifespan of your account is an important criteria for building a meaningful credit record, which will also enable lenders to assess your financial habits. Try to keep your accounts open so that your file can evolve over time.
- Borrowing without a credit check
Credit inquiries have an impact on your credit file because, depending on the criteria defined, more and more requests can lead you into debt and make it difficult to meet your obligations. So limit your credit requests, or turn to no credit check financing solutions .
In fact, some institutions offer so-called “bad credit” financing solutions as an alternative for people who need fast credit but are having difficulty obtaining it. Processing times are accelerated because no credit check is required, and your file is not affected!
