How Long Does It Take to Raise Your Credit Score by 100 Points?

Credit scores range from 300 (terrible) to 850 (terrific), but two magic numbers in between are 650 and 750. Someone with a credit score lower than 650 risks being turned down for a loan or getting a loan with higher interest rates, while someone with a score of 750 or higher is almost certain to be approved for new credit with exceptional terms.

So, what does it take to raise your credit score by 100 points, and how long will it take?

For most people, increasing a credit score by 100 points in a month isn’t going to happen. But if you pay your bills on time, eliminate your consumer debt, don’t run large balances on your cards and maintain a mix of both consumer and secured borrowing, an increase in your credit could happen within months.

The speed of that increase depends on several factors, including how quickly your lenders report updates to the major credit rating agencies. Updates typically occur once a month, but they may happen more frequently if you’re actively managing your borrowing or making payments.

A lot is baked into your credit history, and history doesn’t happen overnight. But once you discover how your credit score gets built, you can take steps to raise it by 100 points – and more.

Factors That Influence How Quickly You Can Raise Your Credit Score

The factors that affect your credit score the most in a short period of time include:

• Your starting credit score
• Recent credit activity
• Types of credit you used most recently
• Length of your credit history

The single best thing you can do to raise your score quickly is correct any errors that show up on your credit reports. If you spot inaccuracies, call each of the credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) to have them remove the blemishes that should not be there.

Also, the more types of credit you use, the better your credit will get. Using only revolving credit (credit cards) can only do so much to help you. If you have a home equity line of credit that you are not using, consider using it for a small purchase and then repaying that amount quickly.

Similarly, making timely and full payments for a mortgage, a car loan and a home-equity loan will get your credit score moving up quickly.

Something else that will help is not applying for a new credit account while you’re trying to raise your score. Often, credit inquiries will lower your score.

Except for reporting errors on your credit report, you can’t otherwise influence your past credit history. You can only build a better history by paying future bills consistently and on time.

Starting Credit Score

There’s no such thing as a baseline starting credit score. Everyone’s starting score is different.

Your initial credit score is largely determined by how you manage your first lines of credit. If you make full, on-time payments on your credit cards and loans from the start, you’ll begin with a stronger score than someone who misses payments early on.

When it comes to improving your credit score by 100 points or more, those with lower scores often see faster growth. This is because they have more room for improvement and can correct financial missteps more easily. In contrast, individuals with higher scores are already managing their credit well, leaving fewer opportunities for significant gains.

Let’s look at areas where people with lower credit scores can improve.

Recent Credit Activity

Your most recent charges, payments and changes to any of your accounts are important. For instance, if you have two recent late payments, your credit score will take an immediate hit.

Conversely, if you pay off a credit card on which you have carried a balance for many months, you can expect a credit score spike.

One element people often overlook is their credit limit. If you have a history of on-time payments, credit card companies will often reward you by extending you more credit. The secret? You may have to ask.

Although some credit card companies will raise your credit limit out of the blue (because they want you to use it more often), others seldom offer changes. But that doesn’t mean they won’t help you out if you ask.

Increasing the credit limit on one or two of your credit cards can strengthen your credit profile, as it signals to credit agencies that lenders trust your creditworthiness. However, this strategy is only effective if you maintain low balances and avoid accumulating new debt.

If your request for a higher credit limit is denied, avoid applying for a new credit card right away. While a new card would expand your overall credit availability, the application itself triggers a hard inquiry on your credit report, which could offset any potential score improvements.

Length of Credit History

The length of your credit history makes up 15% of your FICO score, while your payment history counts for 35%. Experian and their credit ratings peers weigh their scoring methodologies to give high marks to people with decades of on-time and in-full payments. You can’t find a suitable substitute for years of smart financial actions.

Over time, you may accumulate multiple credit accounts and consider closing some to simplify your finances. However, it’s important to be strategic and avoid closing accounts that positively impact your credit.

For example, if you have a credit card you’ve used for 20 years, keeping it open can help maintain your credit history and boost your score. Instead of closing the account, consider asking the issuer to downgrade it to a no-fee version or using it occasionally for small purchases to keep it active without unnecessary costs.

Types of Credit Used

Having a mix of credit accounts can benefit your credit score — and the speed of any improvements.

Credit bureaus reward people who have a mix of credit accounts. Someone who has many types of credit, such as credit card accounts, an auto loan, a mortgage and a HELOC (or a second mortgage), will have better standing than someone who only uses revolving credit (credit cards).

However, this presumes that the person with all the varied accounts made on-time payments and did not have any defaults.

Why does this matter? Because it shows credit bureaus you can manage different accounts responsibly. If so, you have a better risk profile.

One way you can diversify the types of credit you use is to secure a small personal loan to pay off any credit card balances that you have. Then, pay off the personal loan — on time, of course.

Mix of credit makes up 10% of a person’s FICO score.

Typical Time Frames for Credit Score Improvement

You can reap a lot of benefits with a solid credit score. You build credit histories and credit scores over many years of generating a history of mortgages, car loans, personal loans, HELOCs and credit card accounts. But you can implement strategies to improve your score in the short term, medium term and long term.

Unless you have a lot of errors in a recent credit report, you probably shouldn’t expect too much improvement in the short term. It’s easier to raise your score in the medium term — and even easier in the long term.

For most people, it’s almost impossible to increase a credit score by 100 points in a month. That’s because you need money on hand to get it done.

But if you pay your bills on time, eliminate debts, keep your credit card balances low and maintain a mix of consumer and secured borrowing, you could raise your credit score by 100 points in a few months.

Short-Term Strategies (1-3 Months)

The first short-term strategy to tackle is to inspect your credit reports. Odds are you will find at least one mistake. But collect all the errors and start disputing your debt. You can report the errors by mail or by phone.

If you report the errors by phone, document your conversations by collecting names, employee IDs and reference numbers of your complaint. Also, be careful what you share on the phone. The person on the other end of the phone is taking notes, too, and those will get saved in your record.

Next, consider adding a co-signer to your account. However, you want to make sure that you add someone with strong credit.

Paying off medical debt can potential help your credit. If your bills haven’t gone to collections, contact your provider to negotiate a lower payoff. Many hospitals and healthcare providers are willing to settle for less in exchange for immediate payment.

If your medical debt has already gone to collections, you can still negotiate a reduced settlement with the collection agency. Before making your final payment, request a written agreement for a “pay-for-delete,” which asks the agency to remove the debt from your credit report once it’s paid. While not all agencies will agree, it’s worth asking.

Thanks to recent credit reporting changes, paid medical collections no longer appear on credit reports, and unpaid medical debts under $500 are no longer factored in. After making a payment, check your credit report to ensure the debt has been properly removed.

A strong next step is paying down maxed-out credit cards – and making sure they stay that way. Keeping your balances low improves your credit utilization ratio, a key factor in your credit score.

If you need more financial flexibility, consider asking your credit card issuer to raise your credit limit. This can lower your debt-to-credit ratio and boost your score, as long as you don’t add new debt. If your request is denied, you can still ask for a temporary extension or an extra 30–45 days to make a payment – there’s no harm in trying.

While speaking with your credit card company, consider requesting a change to your billing cycle. Adjusting your closing date won’t affect your balance or interest rate, but it could shift your due date to better align with your cash flow, making it easier to pay on time.

If you’ve recently paid down multiple accounts and are applying for a loan, ask your lender about rapid re-scoring. This process updates your credit report within a few days instead of waiting for the usual reporting cycle, potentially helping you qualify for a lower interest rate.

Medium-Term Strategies (3-6 Months)

The best medium-term strategy is building the start of a long-term strategy. The top priority is making consistent on-time payments on your debts, month after month.

Also, consider leveraging your debt. You can help yourself by getting your creditors to agree to a Pay for Delete situation. If you pay off your obligation in full, they will delete their negative credit reports about you to the credit bureaus when they send over their next monthly report. Many, if not most, creditors value getting their money over reporting your bad credit.

Creditors don’t publicize this tactic, and they likely won’t bring it up when you talk to them. Get the agreement in writing before you pay off your debt.

Also, don’t miss payment deadlines. Your payment history is the biggest factor in setting your credit score. If you miss a payment, call your credit card issuers as soon as you can pay it. If you move quickly, you can ask the creditor not to report the delinquency.

Normally, credit card issuers report delinquencies to the credit-rating bureaus once a month, so you might work things out before a report is filed. The longer your accounts remain delinquent, the more negative the impact on your score. Bottom line: pay on time!

If you’re someone who always pays your rent, utility bills and phone bill on time and in full, you can call the three credit reporting agencies and ask them to include your utility bills and phone bill on your credit report. For instance, the Experian Boost tool promotes this as a way for consumers to build up their credit history. Typically, utility and phone bills are only reported to credit agencies when consumers don’t pay them.

RentReporters also sends, on your behalf, monthly reports about rent payments to credit agencies Equifax and TransUnion. This service costs $9.95 a month after a $94.95 setup fee. You won’t want to use this service if you are consistently late or short on your rent payments.

If you pay off the balance of a credit card on which you used to carry a balance, don’t cancel the card after you get the balance to zero – especially if it’s a card you’ve had in your wallet for a few years. Canceling it defeats the purpose of paying it off.

Other Medium-Term Strategies to Improve Your Credit Score:

1. Use a secured credit card: When you have a limited credit history or a low credit score, a secured credit card can help you build up your credit score by generating a history of responsible use. Secured credit cards require a deposit to get a line of credit, and the line of credit is usually equal to the initial deposit.
2. Become an authorized user: When an account holder adds you to an existing credit card account as an authorized user, you add information to your credit history by piggybacking on someone else’s. However, ensure the account sends reports to all three major credit bureaus to ensure the data shows up on your credit report.
3. Pay your bills on time:Set up automatic payments using your bank’s bill pay service or sign up for e-mail alerts from your credit card company if you sometimes have trouble paying bills before the due date.
4. Pay off any collections:Paying off a collection will increase your score but be aware that the record of a debt having gone into collection will stay on your credit report for seven years.
5. Get caught up on past-due bills:If you missed a payment, get current as soon as you can. A missing payment can lower your score by as much as 100 points. It may take some time for this black mark to fade from your credit report. But take heart: your credit score usually depends more on your most recent activity than on past credit problems.
6. Keep your balances low on credit cards: A common rule of thumb is to keep the balance at or below 10 percent on each line of credit to improve your credit score. A balance close to or over the limit will significantly reduce your credit score.
7. Shop for new credit over a short time period:If you are shopping for a mortgage, a car loan or a credit card, lenders typically pull your credit report to see if you qualify and to determine the rate they will charge. Too many inquiries over time can negatively affect your score, but if you cluster these applications within a few days or a week, the FICO scoring system will recognize that you are comparing rates for a single new loan or credit card rather than attempting to open multiple new lines of credit.

Long-Term Strategies (6-12 Months)

The best strategies for raising your credit score 100 points or more are long-term strategies. These usually take six to 12 months to get results.

If you’re in the good-to-excellent credit score bracket — over 700 — you are already doing many things right.

But if your score sits in the 600s or below, you can take on long-term strategies that will improve your credit score.

Worthwhile Long-Term Credit Score Strategies:

1. Pay off your debt instead of continually transferring it: While transferring a balance from a high-interest-rate credit card to a zero-interest card or a lower interest rate card can be worthwhile, pay down the balance before increasing your debt load. FICO says paying down your overall debt is one of the most effective ways to boost your score.
2. Get a loan to pay off high-interest credit card debt: Almost any loan is certain to have a lower interest rate than your credit card rate. You might ask a family member for a loan or find money through an online peer-to-peer lender. However, you might find it difficult to get a personal loan from a bank if your credit score is low.
3. Don’t close any credit cards, even if you’re not using them: Closing credit cards reduces your overall available credit, which instantly increases your credit utilization.
4. Monitor how much of your credit line you’re using on each card: Most consumers use less the 30% of the credit on each of their cards. That 30% is the credit utilization. Every step over that 30% utilization mark has a negative impact on your score.
5. Don’t open any new accounts: Every time you apply for a loan, credit card or other credit account, such as a car loan, the lender pings at least one credit bureau for information about you. If you have too many queries made in the most recent two years, your credit score drops, and that’s the opposite of your goal.

The best long-term strategy is to have a history of paying your monthly bills on time every month. Credit bureaus reward on-time payers with higher scores – even if the payers still carry a credit card balance. (However, your credit score will go higher faster if you pay your full balance every month.)

If you have a major negative credit event on file, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, it takes much longer than a month or two for your credit score to rebound. The best thing you can do is pay your bills on time and don’t run monthly balances.

Realistic Expectations for Credit Score Improvement

The reality about FICO scores is that they’re complex. They contain so many variables that it’s difficult for all of them to move in either direction so quickly that you can tank – or spike – your score so much so fast.

The financial system is set up so that you can rebuild their credit scores, just not overnight. However, by taking the steps we’ve outlined above, you can increase your credit score within the first 60 to 90 days.

Within the first 180 days (six months), you can see even stronger results, possibly up to a 100-point improvement. You certainly can see your score jump higher than 100 points within nine months.

The biggest keys to improvement are making smart decisions and paying your bills on time month after month, lowering your debts and your credit usage as you go.

Maintaining a Healthy Credit Score

Maintaining a healthy credit score once you achieve one boils down to following the guidelines we’ve outlined above toward getting that high credit score.

Top Tips for Keeping a High Credit Score:

• Pay your bills in full and in a timely manner.
• Use various types of credit (mortgage, auto loan, personal loan and credit cards).
• Keep your credit use to 30% or less than your credit capacity.
• Don’t max out any of your credit cards.
• Maintain a pristine credit history on your oldest credit cards.
• Don’t apply for credit you don’t need.
• If you must carry a balance on your credit cards, carry small ones. Pay much more than the minimum amount due every month.
• Protect yourself from identity theft.

Beyond bill-paying, you should also monitor your credit score regularly. You might not need to check it every month, but every three months is a good barometer. Each of the three major credit bureaus allows one free credit report a year. So, consider staggering these free reports: get a different one every four months.

Like the short-term strategies above, if you find an error on a credit report, call in the correction immediately. The longer you let it linger the more it will hurt your credit score.

Achieving Your Credit Goals

Reaching your credit score goals is never impossible. The journey is one of consistency and longevity. You must pay your bills on time and, hopefully, in full.

However, it always helps to have help. If you want someone by your side for encouragement and advice, secure free help from InCharge. With one call, our credit counselors will help you understand the best ways to raise your credit score and put yourself in the best financial position for your future.

Improving your credit and managing credit card debt can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. At InCharge, our expert credit counselors are here to provide the guidance you need. With just one call, we’ll help you understand how to raise your credit score, manage your credit card debt, and put yourself in the best financial position for the future. Get started with a free credit counseling session and let us help you develop a plan to reduce debt and build a stronger financial foundation.