If you are concerned about your credit score here’s how we recommend improving it.
Start by checking your credit score online. You can do so at annualcreditreport.com/index.action. You are entitled to order a free credit report from each of the credit companies, once a year. It’s a good idea to do this and set a reminder on your calendar to do it again next year.
Pay your bills on time. Lenders are interested in how reliable you are at paying your bills. This is because your past payment performance is usually a good indicator of future performance. If you haven’t already, you can positively influence your credit score by paying your bills on time.
Now is a good time to pay off your debt and pay down your credit cards. You don't need to carry a monthly credit card balance to build your credit history. You can pay off your credit card bills every month and positively affect your credit standing.
If you have extra cash at the end of the month use it to pay off some of your debt because this will help improve your credit score.
Don’t close unused credit cards. As long as they’re not costing you annual fees keep them open.
Always question inaccuracies on your credit report. Check all credit reporting bureaus too. Incorrect information on your credit report can drag your credit score down. Get any incorrect information corrected right away.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix when it comes to improving your credit score, but if you follow the above, you’ll start to see an improvement.
Secure Checking account holders are able to request a new credit report every 90 days or upon receipt of a credit alert.
If you have any questions about your credit or would like more information about the benefits of Secure Checking, please contact us.