6 Tips You Can Use to Help Improve Your Credit Score
AppleMagazine|October 14, 2022
Credit scores are complicated and because rating agencies consider many factors, the process of improving them can look different for everyone.
6 Tips You Can Use to Help Improve Your Credit Score

When Willard Carpenter, 68, wanted a loan to open a new business, he realized that his credit score was not high enough to get approved. After checking his credit history, he found several issues he needed to solve.

Carpenter’s credit was heavily affected by credit card debt that his father left on their joint account after his death over a year and a half ago. He’s also had no credit cards for at least 10 years — he stopped using them after he declared bankruptcy due to credit card debt.

Now, he is working with a financial advisor to erase his father’s debt from his history and start building up his credit in a safe way.

Here are some tips for how you can do the same:

KNOW YOUR STARTING POINT

The first step towards increasing your credit score is knowing your current score and what is showing in your credit report, said Kristin Myers, editor in chief of The Balance, a personal finance website.

“You can’t fix what you don’t know,” she said. “See if there are any errors or if you’ve previously made a dispute and it keeps showing up.”

Once you see what is in your report, you can start identifying where you might have weaknesses. For example, if you have a large amount of debt on one of your credit cards, start paying off that debt to reduce the credit utilization that is affecting your credit score.

This story is from the October 14, 2022 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 14, 2022 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
AMAZON REPORTS BOOST IN QUARTERLY PROFITS.EXCEEDS REVENUE ESTIMATES AS IT INVESTS IN AI
AppleMagazine

AMAZON REPORTS BOOST IN QUARTERLY PROFITS.EXCEEDS REVENUE ESTIMATES AS IT INVESTS IN AI

Amazon reported a boost in its quarterly profits and exceeded revenue estimates, sending the company’s stock up in after-hours trading.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 08, 2024
SOUTH KOREA FINES META $15 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY COLLECTING INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK USERS
AppleMagazine

SOUTH KOREA FINES META $15 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY COLLECTING INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK USERS

South Korea’s privacy watchdog this week fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680
CHINESE ONLINE RETAILER TEMU FACES EUROPEAN UNION INVESTIGATION INTO ROGUE TRADERS AND ILLEGAL GOODS
AppleMagazine

CHINESE ONLINE RETAILER TEMU FACES EUROPEAN UNION INVESTIGATION INTO ROGUE TRADERS AND ILLEGAL GOODS

Chinese online retailer Temu is facing a European Union investigation over suspicions it’s failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680
CORNING FACES EU ANTITRUST SCRUTINY OVER GORILLA GLASS DEALS WITH PHONE MAKERS
AppleMagazine

CORNING FACES EU ANTITRUST SCRUTINY OVER GORILLA GLASS DEALS WITH PHONE MAKERS

Corning is facing European Union antitrust scrutiny after the bloc’s watchdog said this week it’s investigating the speciality glass maker’s exclusive deals for its Gorilla Glass used in cellphones.

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #680
NEW CEO AT CVS BEGINS TO BUILD HIS TEAM WITH A GOAL OF REVIVING THE STRUGGLING HEALTH CARE GIANT
AppleMagazine

NEW CEO AT CVS BEGINS TO BUILD HIS TEAM WITH A GOAL OF REVIVING THE STRUGGLING HEALTH CARE GIANT

CVS Health fell short on third-quarter profit, but it posted strong sales and the health care giant shook up leadership under new CEO David Joyner after a rough year that has sent shares plunging.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680
AS THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY BOOMS. AN ENGLISH VILLAGE BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND
AppleMagazine

AS THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY BOOMS. AN ENGLISH VILLAGE BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND

Originally built to store crops from peasant farmers, the Tithe Barn on the edge of the English village of Abbots Langley was converted into homes that preserve its centuries of history.

time-read
4 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680
YOU MAY HAVE BLOCKED SOMEONE ON X BUT NOW THEY CAN SEE YOUR PUBLIC POSTS ANYWAY
AppleMagazine

YOU MAY HAVE BLOCKED SOMEONE ON X BUT NOW THEY CAN SEE YOUR PUBLIC POSTS ANYWAY

Elon Musk’s X has been modified so that accounts you’ve blocked on the social media platform can still see your public posts.

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #680
NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFITS AS DEMAND DROPS FOR ITS AGING SWITCH CONSOLE
AppleMagazine

NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFITS AS DEMAND DROPS FOR ITS AGING SWITCH CONSOLE

Nintendo, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario franchise, said Tuesday that its profit fell 60% in the first half of the fiscal year, as demand waned for its Switch console, now in its eighth year since going on sale.

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #680
THE BEST SMALL SUVS FOR CITY DRIVING
AppleMagazine

THE BEST SMALL SUVS FOR CITY DRIVING

SUVs are popular in part due to their elevated ride height, commanding view of the road, and roomy interiors.

time-read
3 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680
MANY RETAILERS OFFER 'RETURNLESS REFUNDS.' JUST DON'T EXPECT THEM TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT
AppleMagazine

MANY RETAILERS OFFER 'RETURNLESS REFUNDS.' JUST DON'T EXPECT THEM TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT

It’s one of the most under-publicized policies of some of the biggest U.S. retailers: sometimes they give customers full refunds and let them keep unwanted items too.

time-read
5 mins  |
AppleMagazine #680