About Personal Credit Scores & Reports

Dear Audrey,

My husband and I are trying to buy a home. Every mortgage broker we speak to says we need to work on our credit scores. However, we don't know how fix them. What is the quickest way to bring up our credit score?

Mrs. Flanders

Dear Mrs. Flanders,

I am happy to hear that you are trying to buy a home; it can be a great investment. There isn't a simple quick fix for improving your credit score, but there are many things that you can do to make small improvements. Having too much debt or too little debt on your credit report can lower your score. Adjusting your credit usage to between 10-35% of your available limits can help bring it up a bit.

There are a few other things you can do to improve. Paying your bills responsibly is a sign of financial stability. Make sure that you have at least a few months of on-time payments recorded on your credit report. Also, check your credit report for any damaging inaccuracies that may be bringing your credit score down. You can dispute errors with the credit reporting agencies and have them corrected in about 30-60 days.

The best way for you to find out how to better your credit score is to check it online yourself. TrueCredit.com offers credit scores from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian online. Good luck with your home search!

Best wishes,

Audrey O'Dell