Run, Forrest, Run... To a Better Credit Score!

Life is Like a Box of Credit Scores...

Well hello there. Forrest Gump here. You know life is like a box of chocolates and sometimes gettin' a good credit score feels just as mysterious. I heard tell of this lady Jenny Groberg who knows a thing or two about them credit scores. She says they're kinda like a secret recipe with numbers goin' in and comin' out but nobody knows what's cookin' inside. Turns out these scores help you get good deals on houses cars and even those fancy credit cards that give you points for buyin' stuff. Who knew?

Payment History: Like Shrimp You Gotta Pay!

Now the biggest part of your credit score about 35% of it is how good you are at payin' your bills on time. Think of it like shrimp you can barbecue it boil it broil it bake it saute it… But you gotta pay for it first! Missin' a payment is like steppin' in somethin' nasty it ain't gonna do you no good. So pay those bills folks before the closing date and you'll be sittin' pretty.

Credit Utilization: Don't Be a Credit Hog!

Then there's credit utilization which is just a fancy way of sayin' 'Don't use all your credit!' It's like eatin' too many chocolates. Feels good at first but you'll regret it later. This Jenny lady says you shouldn't use more than 30% of your credit limit. So if you got $10,000 don't go spendin' more than $3,000 even if you plan on payin' it all back. Credit card companies get nervous if you max out your card and nobody wants a nervous credit card company do they?

Check Your Report: See If You Got Any 'Gumps' on There!

First things first you gotta check your credit report. It's like lookin' for Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on the pier. You gotta make sure it's the real deal. Jenny says you should look for errors old stuff or somethin' fishy. 'Cause sometimes mistakes happen and they can mess up your score. You can get these reports for free once a year. If you find somethin' wrong you can tell them about it and they gotta fix it. And if you don't wanna do it yourself there are folks who can help you out. Just make sure they're on the up and up ya hear?

Raise Your Limit: Reach for the Sky!

If you can't pay down your card try askin' for a higher credit limit. It's like askin' for seconds at dinner. As long as you don't spend the extra credit it can help lower your credit utilization. This Jenny lady calls it 'low hangin' fruit.' I don't know about fruit but it sounds like a good idea to me. It might just give your score a little boost. Just like runnin' a little faster when you see Jenny!

Utility Bills: Show 'Em You're Responsible!

Now if you ain't got much of a credit history you can tell them about your on time payments for your utility bills car insurance and even those stream y things you watch on the TV machine. There's this thing called Experian Boost that helps you do just that. It's like showin' 'em you're a responsible grown up. And accordin' to them folks at Experian it can give your score a little bump. Mama always said 'Stupid is as stupid does,' but I don't think payin' your bills on time is stupid at all.