Remember to be realistic when considering your budget. Use the amount of your next paycheck to determine how much you can borrow and afford to repay on time. You are allowed to renew your loan, but if you choose to, please make sure that you put some extra money towards the principle. Even a small amount will lower your balance and reduce the interest you will owe, which will decrease the payments on your renewed loan. If you don't and you keep borrowing without paying down your principal, it will end up costing you much more in interest in the long term.
A credit score is a vital factor which determines whether a prospective borrower will be approved by a lender to receive a loan or not. Everyone starts out with a blank or clean slate when it comes to their credit scores and credit reports. If you do not have a history of credit that does not mean you have a credit score of 0 because there is no such thing as a credit score of zero. A credit score is a three-digit number, typically between 300 and 850. When it comes to how long it takes to get your credit score up, the length of time depends on whether you are starting with no credit history or you are rebuilding your credit history. The trick, of course, is to learn how to raise your credit score in the shortest amount of time possible.
Why Your Credit Score Is Important?
If you need to borrow money at some point to buy a used car, own a home, renovate your house, or launch a business, your credit score is a vital factor in determining whether you will be approved by a lender to receive a loan or not. Also, a credit score determines, to a great part, how much money you can borrow and what will be the interest rates, fees and loan terms for you. The key to getting a loan of any type from a traditional lender or online lender is to have good credit.
If you have a bad credit history and credit score, you can rebuild your credit over time and get major credit cards with low-interest rates and other perks, an affordable mortgage and a loan of any type with low-interest rates, fees, and flexible terms. Unfortunately, many lenders will not wish to do business with people with bad credit because they see them to be a financial risk. The good news is that there are lenders that consider people with no credit history or bad credit and provide them with an unsecured loan.
How Are Credit Scores Calculated?
A credit score is calculated based on the content or information of your consumer file. The main factors involved in calculating your credit score are:
- The number of accounts you have
- The types of credit accounts
Credit utilization rate, i.e., your used credit vs. your available credit
- The length of your credit history
Your payment history
If you check your credit score with the three national credit rating agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - you may see three different credit scores. This is completely normal because not all creditors and lenders report to all three national CRAs. You may have a credit account with a creditor that may not report to any. Besides, some banks use their own custom built credit scores when it comes to picking their borrowers.
How Long Does It Take to Get Credit Score Up?
The length of time it takes to get a credit score up depends on many factors, such as if you are looking to build a credit score for the first time or you are rebuilding your credit score. However, building a credit score for the first time can be a bit challenging.
Many lenders will not wish to do business with you if you have no credit history because lending money to you is considered to be a financial risk. The good news is that there are lenders that sympathetically consider people with no credit history for providing them with an unsecured loan. Finding a trustworthy and right lender that offers unsecured loans can become a daunting task. Fortunately, there are several methods available to help you build credit from scratch even if you don't currently have a credit history.
How to Build Credit from No Credit
If you have never established any credit, you must have at least one credit account in your name to have a credit report. Here are some options for getting your first credit account:
- Secured Credit Cards
- Secured Personal Loans
- Online Personal Loans
- Cosigned Personal Loans
- Credit Builder Loans
- Authorized User Account
How Long Does It Take to Build Credit from Scratch?
Once you have opened a credit account in your name, it usually takes three to six months of activity before it is reported to any of the CRAs for a credit score to be calculated. When it comes to how long does it take to raise a score if you are building credit from scratch, you can build credit rather quickly. If you pay the bills on time and every time, pay your outstanding balance in full each month and have a low utilization rate, you will build good credit rather quickly.
How to Rebuild Credit
There is no quick fix when rebuilding your credit history. When you have bad credit, borrowing money from a creditor or lender can seem like a bit of challenge, especially when you are looking for affordable rates and flexible terms. Many lenders will not wish to do business with you because, again, you're considered to be a financial risk.
Having bad credit does not mean all the lenders will refuse you a loan, but you may be offered credit at higher interest rates and fees. But, if you use credit products offered to you responsibly, you will rebuild your credit rather quickly.
Pay your credit card, utility, contract phone, and other bills on time and every time. Ideally, pay the outstanding balance on your credit account in full in each month. Maintain low balances. Keeping your credit utilization rate below 30% will have a positive impact on your credit score. If you have a credit card or a store card that you are not using, keep the account open. The average age of your credit accounts has an impact on your credit score.
How Long Does It Take to Raise Score if You Are Rebuilding Credit?
The length of time it will take to rebuild credit depends on how severe your previous credit difficulties are. It will take longer for a person who has had substantial debts, collection accounts and declared bankruptcy to rebuild their credit than for someone who has had one or two missed or late payments recently. It could take years for one to recover, but for the other, it could take just a few months. The key to raising score depends on the responsible use of credit products. If you manage your credit responsibly, you can expect to increase your credit score in time.
How to Get a Good Credit Score
There are some things you can do to improve your credit scores, such as:
Make all your payments on time, every time
Keep your utilization rate as low as possible, preferably below 30%
Pay down balances in full each month
Have different types of credit accounts, such as revolving and installment accounts
Apply for credit only when you need it as multiple applications hurt your credit score
Don't Give up on Building Your Credit
When you want to build your credit score fast, it depends on your goals. Just because you have no credit history, or a bad credit history and score, it does not mean you cannot get credit. The truth is your options are limited, but with responsible use of credit, you can build your credit history and score over time and get credit cards, personal loans, and credit products with low-interest rates and flexible terms. You can expedite the process by taking the right strategy and raise your credit score.