U.S. Credit Score Improvement Tips

The credit score in the United States is determined by various agencies based on the credit report details issued by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

 

Credit score < 580 is “poor”, indicating that the credit score is much lower than the average for U.S. consumers.

Credit score between 580-669 is “fair”, indicating that the credit score is below average. One can apply for loans, but the interest rate is usually higher.

Credit score between 670-739 is “good”, indicating that the credit score is close to or slightly above the U.S. average.

Credit score between 740-799 is “very good”, indicating that the credit score is above the U.S. average.

Credit score > 800 is “exceptional”, indicating a very high credit score.

 

Do not underestimate the difference in credit score levels, as this can help you easily save thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the years.

 

The calculation of credit scores is primarily based on the following five factors:

Repayment history: 35%

Total loan amount: 30%

Length of credit history: 15%

Type of credit: 10%

Newly opened credit accounts: 10%

 

To improve your credit score, the following methods can be adopted:

1. Always repay on time.

2. Initially consider applying for a supplementary card or a secured credit card. It's easier to get a credit card approved from the bank where you have your deposits.

3. The monthly balance of the credit card should be kept low. If you max it out, you need to repay before the balance is due.

4. After accumulating a certain amount of credit, try applying for installment loans to enrich your credit history record.

5. Maintain a gap of six months or more between opening a new credit card or applying for a loan.

6. Try to avoid hard pulls on your credit. Every time a merchant checks your credit, your credit score will decrease. This kind of check is called a 'hard pull'. Checking your own score is called a 'soft pull', which does not affect the score. Therefore, before getting a hard pull, you can purchase a soft pull service to roughly check how many credit points you have.

7. ​​Do not exceed 30% of the given credit card limit when swiping the card each month.