Your credit score might seem like a complicated subject. Several factors go into it, and they’re not the most self-explanatory.
As confusing as credit scores can be, building credit is fairly simple. It also has huge financial benefits. You’ll be able to get the best credit cards, you’ll pay lower interest rates on loans, and you’ll be more likely to qualify for rental housing. In most states, good credit could even save you money on car insurance.
Like everyone, I had to build my credit from the ground up. I eventually reached an 800 credit score through a few key steps.
1. I’ve always paid my credit card bill on time
Your credit score is a measure of how trustworthy you are when borrowing money. If you have a high credit score, it’s a sign to lenders you’re likely to pay back credit cards and loans. So it’s no surprise that your payment history is the most important factor in your credit score.
Credit card and loan payments (or non-payments) get reported on your credit history every month. Every on-time payment is good for your credit score. Other bills usually don’t get reported, although they could be if the account becomes delinquent.
I’ve kept my payment history spotless. Now, to clarify, a payment is only reported as late once it’s at least 30 days past due. If you miss a credit card payment, but you pay it a week later, that’s still considered an on-time payment on your credit history. Although it’s best to pay by the due date, there is some wiggle room there.
A perfect payment history could already be enough for a good credit score. And if you have good credit, it’s worth getting a card with the benefits you deserve. Click here to see our picks for the best cash back cards with rates of up to 6% back and welcome offers worth $200 or more.
2. I’ve regularly increased my total credit
My credit limits have gone up quite a bit over the years. When I got my first credit card, it had a $500 limit. As I built credit, I applied for new cards and requested credit limit increases on the cards I already had. I now have over $200,000 in total credit across all my cards.
Having that much credit helps my score because of a factor called credit utilization. This is the second-most important factor after payment history. It’s calculated by dividing your credit card balances by your credit limits. Have $5,000 in balances and $10,000 in total credit? Your credit utilization is 50%.
The lower your credit utilization is, the better. If you can keep it below 20% to 30%, that’s good for your credit.
I don’t spend anywhere near my total credit. But by having so much, it keeps my credit utilization low. Even if my combined card balances were $10,000, I’d still be at less than 5% credit utilization.
3. I started using credit at a young age
The amount of time you’ve been using credit is a factor in your credit score. It also ties into your payment history. Making on-time payments for 10 years does much more for your credit than making on-time payments for 10 months.
I got my first credit card when I was 19. My total credit history is even longer than that, because my father added me to one of his cards as an authorized user when I was a teen. By now, I’ve built up a long credit history to demonstrate that I’m trustworthy.
You can’t go back in time. Even if you could, there would be more profitable moves than opening a credit card a few years earlier.
But if you haven’t done so already, you can start building your credit history now. You’ll thank yourself in a couple of years, when you have excellent credit and all the benefits that come with it. If you’re not sure which cards you can get, check out our list of the best starter credit cards that don’t require any credit history.
How to get an 800 credit score
Anyone can get a high credit score, and you don’t need to do anything complicated. What’s most important is paying bills on time. Keeping your credit utilization low is another key credit habit. You can do this by increasing your total credit when possible, but also aim to pay off your credit cards in full every month. It’s good for your credit utilization, and it keeps you out of expensive credit card debt.
Credit history is trickier, since there are no shortcuts there. The best move you can make is to have at least one credit card that you use regularly. Building up your credit history, combined with on-time payments and low credit utilization, will have you well on your way to a high score.
