We all want to have a good credit score, but how long does it take to improve your credit score? If you’re in the market for buying a new car or house, this is an important question. Your credit score impacts the interest rates that lenders will give you. Every country has their own benchmark for what is depicted as a good credit score. If you’re considering applying for a mortgage in Canada, you can find the score limit in this link: https://alpinecredits.ca/what-is-a-good-credit-score-in-canada-for-mortgage/. If your credit score is low, there’s a chance you won’t qualify at all. In this blog post, we have outlined best practices for improving your credit scores so that you can get access to better financing options.
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How Long Does It Take To Improve Your Credit Score?
There is no one true answer to this because it depends on so many factors. It can take anywhere from a few months to over a year. If you have an excellent credit score and are just trying to improve it with certain actions, then improving your credit score can take anywhere from a few months to six months. If you have poor credit and need to make major changes, then improving your score can take up to two years or more.
If you want the best results, try not to miss any payments while working on improving your credit score because it could go down if there is late payment activity on your account. It is also very important not to open any new lines of credit while trying to improve your score because this could also drop it. Additionally, you should pay off all debt except for one or two accounts that have a low balance and then just make the minimum payments on those accounts so they don’t become delinquent.
| Event | Average Credit Score Recovery Time |
| Applying for a new credit card | 3 months |
| Maxed credit card account | 3 months |
| Closing credit card account | 3 months |
| Late mortgage payment (30 to 90 days) | 9 months |
| Default/missed payment | 18 months |
| Home foreclosure | 3 years |
| Bankruptcy | Over 6 years |
Factors That Impact Your Credit Score
Here are some of the largest factors that impact your credit score:
- Amount Due- This is how much you owe on each account. The most important factor of your credit score is the total amount owed compared to your limit, so try not to exceed 30% of your available credit limits.
- Payment History- This is the most important thing to have a good credit score. If you don’t make any payments on your bills, this will hurt your credit score badly, and it could take a long time to fix. However, if you can pay off even one or two small amounts in a short amount of time, there should be at least some improvement.
- Length of Credit History- For most people, the length of your credit history is a major factor in calculating your score. In general, it’s better to have an older account with a higher balance than a newer account with no balance at all.
Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Improving your credit score is important especially important when you want to take a loan:
- Pay Your Outstanding Bills
The first thing you need to do is pay your outstanding bills. If there are any, make sure that they get paid on time, and the right amount of money gets credited to their bank accounts. You should also cut down any credit cards or store cards because these could be potential risks for overspending, which will affect your credit score.
A good way to do this is by using your debit cards instead; if you really want to keep a credit card, make sure that there are no outstanding balances because these will affect your score. If the balance is too high or maxed out, try asking for an increase in your limit first before closing it.
If the credit card company doesn’t increase your limit, it might be time to cancel or close your account so that you can say goodbye to the debt and any interest rates on top of it as well.
- Review Your Credit Report
Keeping a close eye on your credit report is the best way to ensure you improve it as quickly as possible. Reviewing how much available credit you have, what types of accounts are listed, and any discrepancies between those reports will give you an idea of where improvements need to be made.
- Keep Your Credit Utilization 30% Or Under
Keep your credit utilization below 30% of the maximum limit. This is one of the most important factors that affect a credit score. Having high credit utilization can harm your credit score. You’ll want to keep this ratio as low as possible, ideally under 30%, or even lower if you’re working toward excellent status. If you keep your utilization low, it will show lenders that even if you make some late payments or get into debt occasionally, they can still count on the fact that you’re using very little of your available credit most of the time.
- Pay Maxed Out Cards First
The first thing you must do is pay off any maxed-out credit cards that are reporting a balance. This will help increase your credit score because if there isn’t anything to report, then there’s nothing for them to see, and it won’t count against you.
- Diversify Your Account Types
Having a variety of account types is important because it helps reduce the risk associated with your assets. For example, you should have both savings and checking accounts to keep some money easily accessible while having other funds set aside for longer-term goals or emergencies that may arise.
Conclusion
A credit score determines your credibility; therefore, you must maintain a good score. When you apply for a mortgage loan or any loan, the lenders first look at your credit score. And, if you don’t show a decent score, your loan application is likely to be rejected. Above, we have highlighted vital details you need to follow to improve your credit score along with the duration it will take.
