Do you have great credit, but just can’t seem to reach 800?
If so, congratulations! Most people don’t have a credit score that good.
However, to learn how to increase a credit score to 800, you have to understand what makes up your credit score. According to MyFico, your score is calculated from the factors five different factors:
In other words, these five factors determine your overall score. Based on these numbers, this article will show you exactly how to increase a credit score to 800!
Learn How to Increase Your Credit Score to 800 in a Few Simple Steps!
Never Miss a Payment
Your payment history alone makes up over one-third of your credit score!
So how does this impact your score?
Missing one payment can drop your score by 50-75 points! If you keep paying your bills on time, you’ll not only maintain awesome credit, but you can increase your score fast!
Use a Fraction of Your Credit Limit
Your credit utilization, or amounts owed, make up 30% of your overall credit score.
Going over your credit card limit can drop your score by 40-50 points. However, as a rule of thumb, you should try to only use about 10% of your credit card limit.
The most effective way to do this is to have high credit card limits, but only spend a small amount. Moreover, if you have a tough time staying this far below your credit limit, you can try to raise the limit.
Acquiring high limits and restricting your credit usage will improve your use-to-limit ratio. As a result, your credit score will improve!
Maintain a Long Credit History
It’s best to keep old credit cards rather than opening up new ones. Why?
Well, the length of your credit history contributes to 15% of your score. What does that mean exactly?
Let’s say you got a credit card six months ago and paid off all your bills on time. That’s a good start, but it doesn’t look as good as if you had a credit card for ten years and paid all your bills on time.
Typically, your average credit history age plays a role. For example, say you opened an account ten years ago and another six years ago. Your average credit history is eight years.
On the other hand, say you opened a credit account every two years for the next decade. Your average credit history would only be five years. Therefore, a good rule of thumb is to have a few old accounts rather than have multiple new accounts. Moreover, don’t close old accounts—they dramatically increase your credit score!
Pursue a Mix of Credit Types
There are two types of credit you can pay back: revolving accounts like credit cards and installment loan accounts like mortgages or student loans.
Credit cards are revolving accounts, which means the amount you owe will change from month to month. As mentioned before, it’s best to keep this balance low.
On the other hand, installment loans have a fixed number with a set number of scheduled payments. When you pay off an installment loan, you no longer owe money. Paying off these loans can actually help to improve your score, though usually only a minimal amount. The important thing to remember is to make payments regularly.
Overall, having at least one of each type of credit will actually benefit your score. This is called your credit mix and makes up 10% of your credit score.
Remove Derogatory Items
Derogatory items on your account include bankruptcies, judgments, collection accounts, charge-offs, late payments, and accounts that are settled for less than the full balance.
These items on your credit report can significantly lower your credit score. In fact, if you are close to 800 but just can’t seem to reach it no matter what you do, it is worthwhile to check your credit report for derogatory items.
There are a few ways to remove these negative statements. For example, to remove a late payment, you may have to negotiate with the creditor.
To remove a bankruptcy, however, you will have to wait until enough time has passed—usually between seven and ten years. Another way to remove derogatory statements is to get the help of a credit repair specialist, who can expertly negotiate the removal of any negative items on your report.
Get Professional Credit Help!
Do you need derogatory items removed from your credit report or simply want some expert advice on how to increase your credit score to 800? A credit repair company has the answers you need!
Go Clean Credit is one of the best credit repair specialists. They are passionate about making your financial dreams come true through their personalized credit repair services. Moreover, they can help with a number of issues that may be on your report. If you need help getting your score to 800, contact Go Clean Credit today for more information!