Credit scores serve as the batteries of your financial life. Similar to requiring batteries urgently when your fire alarm stops working, you’ll need a good credit score when you need it. Although your credit score may fluctuate slightly over time, watching it steadily decrease warrants your attention.
Lenders use credit scores to assess your reliability for loans. A high credit score indicates that you are likely to repay your loans. Landlords may also consider your credit score as part of your application for a new home. Additionally, some job interviews also require credit score checks. Maintaining a consistently high credit score will make your financial life more manageable.
If you expect to need a higher credit score shortly, there are four actions you can take to raise it within a month. For more information, please visit a reputable financial website.

1. Correct Any Errors on Your Credit Report

One simple way to raise your credit score in a month is to correct any inaccuracies on your credit report. Credit reports are issued by the three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. To improve your credit score quickly, I recommend using Experian Boost. You can read our review of this service here.

Credit reports provide a history of all your open credit accounts, including student loans, credit cards, and car loans. Late payments, accounts sent to collections, charge-offs, foreclosures, and bankruptcies are among the negative factors that can drag down your score.

Your credit report will also list your past addresses and names. If you changed your name after getting married, accounts under both your maiden and married names will be listed.

You are entitled to one free report from each credit reporting agency every 12 months. Requesting a credit report will give you the opportunity to review it for inaccuracies. If there is a bankruptcy listed that didn’t occur, you can have it removed. If there is an error in your name or other information, you can have it corrected.

Correcting any inaccuracies is likely to help raise your score. Reporting inaccuracies can be done online or over the phone, and they are usually resolved within days. This is a relatively quick turnaround time and can help improve your score faster than almost any other effort you make.

2. Request a Higher Credit Limit

Requesting a higher credit limit can help your credit score in one specific way: It changes your credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you use each month compared to the amount of credit available to you.

If you have two credit cards, each with a limit of $7,000, you can use up to $14,000 in credit. If you use the full amount, your utilization ratio is 100%. If you only use $7,000 a month, your utilization ratio is 50%.

Ideally, your credit utilization ratio should be between 10% and 30%. Using too much of your credit is a red flag to the bureaus, as it suggests that you don’t have enough income to support yourself. Conversely, using too little credit tells the bureaus that you don’t need credit at all.

Increasing your total line of credit can bring your utilization ratio down to that optimal 10-30% range. This in turn can help raise your credit score.

3. Stop Applying for New Credit

Each time you apply for a new credit card or another student loan, your credit score takes a dive. If you’ve applied for several new lines of credit recently, take a pause.

Stepping away from asking for more credit for a few months can mean a fairly big improvement in your credit score. Lenders want to know that you can make payments without needing credit, so each time you ask for more, they ding your score. A month or three of no credit inquiries can see a small boost to your credit score. And small boosts can be enough to help you cross a credit threshold.

For example, 720 is generally the baseline needed for “excellent” credit. If you’re currently at 710, a month with no inquiries could be just the ticket to getting you the 10 points you need to cross into credit score excellence.

4. Use Experian Boost

You’ve certainly heard the name “Experian” before. Experian is one of the three major credit bureaus in the U.S. The company issues credit reports, which contain a history of all your credit accounts, delinquencies, and things like bankruptcies. And it also assigns you a credit score.

The bureau offers a special service called Experian Boost. This product uses your utility and phone bill history to help boost your Experian score. Plus, it’s free to use.

However, there’s no guarantee that Experan Boost will work for the other credit bureaus beyond Experian. And the boost that you give probably won’t be enough to seriously raise your score if you have negative marks on your report. But it can be particularly useful if you have a limited or no credit history.

You can find out more about Experian Boost from our review of this service.

3. Avoid Applying for New Credit

Every time you seek a new credit card or take out another student loan, your credit score drops. If you’ve recently applied for several new lines of credit, take a break.

Abstaining from requesting more credit for a few months can lead to a significant increase in your credit score. Lenders want to see that you can make payments without needing credit, so each time you ask for more, they lower your score. A month or three with no credit inquiries can result in a small increase in your credit score. Even minor increases can be sufficient to help you exceed a credit threshold.

For instance, 720 is usually the minimum requirement for “excellent” credit. If you’re currently at 710, a month with no inquiries could be the key to gaining the 10 points you need to reach credit score excellence.

4. Benefit from Experian Boost

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the name “Experian.” Experian is one of the three primary credit bureaus in the United States. The organization produces credit reports, which contain your credit account history, delinquencies, and similar items such as bankruptcies. It also issues you a credit score.

The bureau provides a unique service known as Experian Boost. This product uses your utility and phone bill history to help increase your Experian score. Furthermore, it’s free to use.

However, Experian Boost may not work for other credit bureaus beyond Experian, and the boost you provide may not be enough to significantly raise your score if you have negative marks on your report. However, it can be especially beneficial if you have a limited or no credit history.

Maintaining a high credit score is connected to monitoring your financial health and monthly spending. Although your daily actions may seem unrelated to your credit score, they are all connected. Consider tracking your credit score with services like myFICO and checking your credit reports regularly. With these habits, your credit score will continue to rise.