Plenty of people who work hard and watch their spending end up with credit scores a bit lower than they’d like. There’s a solution! In fact, there are a bunch of them. Choices including the right credit cards, loans, shopping hacks, and more can all work together to get your finances back on track.
1) Improve Your FICO® Score with Experian Boost™
You probably already know how important it is to build credit. It's key for things like getting a car loan, and your overall financial health. Now there's a quick way to raise your credit scores simply by registering some of the bills you're already paying.
Experian Boost™ can help turn your on-time payments for things like your phone, utility, and streaming service payments into higher credit scores. It only takes a few minutes to add positive bill payments to your Experian® credit file. There's really no downside since negative marks on your Experian Credit Report won't count against you. But the best part? It's free. So sign up now to see your potential new credit scores. Results may vary. See website for details.
2) Rebuild Your Credit with the Capital One Platinum Credit Card
The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is an excellent choice for people with average, fair, or limited credit. One big reason is that unlike most credit cards for building credit, this one comes with no annual fee. It does, however, come with lots of valuable features.
You'll get some complimentary credit management tools and resources to help you establish a stronger credit score. You can also monitor your credit profile for free with the CreditWise® app. You'll even be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months. There is no rewards program with this card, but many experts actually consider that a bonus for folks just starting out with credit since they won't be incentivized to overspend.
3) See if your profile matches a low interest loan
Paying off your credit cards is one of the best investments you can make. Instead of just chipping away at your debt by paying each card every month, a better option may be consolidating all your credit card balances into one payment with lower interest. Consolidating may even give your credit score a bump!
CompareCredit.com makes it easy to see what kinds of terms and amounts are available after answering a few quick questions. Clicking can't hurt because even if you're just curious to see what kinds of loans match your particular finances, this inquiry will NOT negatively affect your credit. It's an easy way to compare rates from multiple lenders without any fee or obligation.
4) New to Credit? Consider the Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card
Finally! A credit card designed specifically for those who are new to credit. The Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card comes with a strong rewards rate of 2% - 10% cash back from select merchants and has no annual fee. With credit limits of $500-$5,000, it's a powerful tool to help you build credit.
In addition to no annual fee, this card has no foreign transaction fees. Remember, this is a true credit card so there is no security deposit required either. If the Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card sounds right for you, there's more good news. You can see if you're pre-approved within minutes and without the danger of putting a needless ding on your credit report.
Bonus Tip: Improve your credit score by paying down your debt with extra cash
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Whether it's a little or a lot, putting in additional money to pay down high-interest credit card debt can have a very positive impact on your credit score. But where does this extra cash come from? While there are countless ways to save money, one of the easiest ones is to use an online shopping tool on purchases you’re making anyway.
Capital One Shopping is a free, and easy-to-install browser extension designed to help you save money and time when shopping online. It’s a free browser extension that automatically compares prices, applies promo codes, and alerts you to better deals while you shop. It’s time to make sure you always get the best deal. Add it now to start saving.
*Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn More.