Credit Help
Build, repair, and protect your credit.
Your credit score quietly shapes the cost of borrowing for the rest of your life. These guides cover the moves that genuinely improve it — and the common advice that wastes your time.
Featured guides
6 articlesWhat actually moves your FICO score
The five factors, ranked by impact — and which ones you can change in 30 days.
The 30% myth and the real threshold
Why aiming for sub-10% utilization on your statement date unlocks the next score tier.
How to dispute an error (with template)
A step-by-step letter and timeline for getting incorrect items removed from your report.
No credit? Start here.
Secured cards, credit-builder loans, and authorized-user strategies that work in 6 months.
Recovering from a missed payment
Goodwill letters, account aging, and how long late payments really hurt you.
Free credit monitoring that's actually free
Which services give real data without dark patterns or credit-card upsells.
Quick wins you can try today
Small, deliberate actions compound. Start with one — not all five.
- 1
Pay before the statement closes
Most issuers report your balance on the statement date, not the due date. Paying earlier lowers reported utilization.
- 2
Ask for a credit-limit increase
A larger limit on the same balance drops utilization instantly. Most issuers allow a soft-pull request once every six months.
- 3
Keep old accounts open
Average age of accounts matters. Closing a no-fee card you've had for years can shave points.
- 4
Set autopay for the minimum
Autopay protects you from the one mistake that hurts most: a 30-day late payment.