If You Want to Improve Your Credit Score, Check It Regularly.
Not sure how to improve your credit score? The first step to improvement can be simple awareness.
A new study by Javelin Strategy & Research and credit bureau TransUnion found that more than half of US consumers review their credit ratings at least once a month. If that doesn’t impress you, consider this nugget: a good group of people surveyed who had subprime (low) credit ratings and monitored them for a year were able to raise their grades. From an exclusive USA Today post:
More than a third of subprime lending consumers (34%) who tracked their credit resources from March 2018 to March 2019 raised their credit rating to a level close to the first or higher, with the level of credit risk. This percentage fell by almost half, to 18% for those consumers who did not control their loans during the same period.
Of course, checking your credit score doesn’t do anything: It just gives you a grade, which isn’t even very useful if you’re not applying for a new loan.
But the rise in free credit monitoring sites and free assessments provided by financial institutions is so recent that it still feels new. Everyone wants to know their status. This is basic psychology.
Remember when you could find out what your Uber customer rating is, but only if you knew where to look? Everyone wanted to know their account. Likewise, there are entire forums dedicated to discussing how to get the perfect credit rating.
But the prevalence of free appraisal sources seems to help people beyond the novelty of it all. Experian’s latest annual credit status report found that millennials in 2020 have credit scores 25 points higher than their 2012 ratings. And the average age of Americans reaching 700 on the FICO is the lowest since Experian. started counting in 2012 – now 54 instead of 62.
Your credit score is not proof that everything is in order and graceful on your credit report, but it does provide a quick glance and general health check for people who are familiar with the normal range for your score.
It also helps that there are now many free ways to get your account. Nearly 40% of TransUnion respondents said they get their credit information from more than one provider, with banks and credit unions topping the list of sources. While there are many formulations available for calculating credit scores, being able to see your score from multiple sources gives you a solid idea of what the lender will see when they access your score through their own selection method.
You certainly don’t need to check your credit rating on a daily basis – it’s just overkill – but regularly checking your rating can help you stay on track if you’re making a concerted effort to improve it. And, of course, it is a quick indicator if something is wrong .
Are the components of your estimate more important than the total? Yes, because they are the best indicators of the health of your finances. But if you’re making progress in managing your money or reducing debt, having this score can boost your confidence and give you a boost of motivation.