Not sure where you're starting from, so I can only offer general ideas, but here are some of the big things to keep in mind:
- Try to remove any debt - of course this is the most overwhelming piece. But as a starting point, if you can, eliminate any revolving debt (like credit card balances that you're not paying in full) with high interest rates. If you have cc debt AND student loan debt, keep paying the minimum on the student loan debt and focus on paying off the cc debt first.
- Increase your credit limits IF you know you won't run up (more?) debt. If you get a raise at work or move in to a place with less rent/lower mortgage, let your lenders know and ask for a credit increase.
- Try not to apply for too many credit cards at once - hard inquiries alone can ding your score (apps like Turbo & Mint only do soft inquiries - won't impact your score)
- Play the long game: Don't miss bills. Don't close accounts when you pay them off. Don't splurge if you can't afford it. Don't give up. Raising your credit is a matter of consistency over time - they want to see your history.
I work with a lot of content on the Mint & Turbo blogs, here's one of my favorite pieces on raising your score: https://turbo.intuit.com/blog/credit-score/how-to-improve-credit-score-74/
Lastly, just stick with it! You got this! Check back in and let me know how it goes too!
