How to Raise a Low Credit Score: What Actually Helps
April 13, 2026 | 6 min read
Written By:
Credit Saint
Credit Saint
Staff Writer
With years of experience and a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals, our team is committed to guiding you on your journey to credit recovery and financial success.
Reviewed By:
Ashley Davison
Ashley Davison
Editor
Ashley is currently the Chief Compliance Officer for Credit Saint, previously the Chief Operating Officer. Ashley got into the Financial world by working as a Logistics Coordinator at Ernst & Young. Coming from a previous career in education, she is eager to teach the world every...
To raise a low credit score, focus on what scoring models weigh most: paying every bill on time, keeping credit card balances low, and making sure your credit reports are accurate. Applying for new credit only when you need it and building a healthy mix of accounts also help over time. Results depend on your full credit history.
Your score affects more than loan approvals. Interest rates, apartment applications, insurance premiums and some job screenings can all depend on it. Understanding what drives your score is the first step. Since 2007, Credit Saint has helped 350,000+ people, and with your authorization, our specialists handle the review and dispute process.
Credit utilization, or how much of your available credit you’re using, makes up another 30%. It reflects your current balances, so it can change as balances go down.
Credit report errors are common: in a 2013 FTC study, 1 in 5 consumers found at least one error on a credit report.
Credit Saint reviews your reports across all three bureaus and, with your authorization, may challenge entries that may be inaccurate, unverifiable or outdated.
Five areas matter most when you’re working on a low score. Start with the ones that carry the most weight.
1. Payment History
Late payments, collections and charge-offs weigh heavily on a score. The most useful habit is paying every account on time, every month. Autopay or calendar reminders can help. If you’re behind, getting current and staying current matters more than any other single step.
2. Credit Utilization
Utilization is your total card balances divided by your total credit limits. Lower is generally better, and many experts suggest staying under 30%. Paying balances down, paying before the statement closes and keeping older cards open can all help. Learn more in our guide to how credit utilization affects your credit score.
3. Errors on Your Credit Report
Start by getting all three of your credit reports and checking them for accounts you don’t recognize, wrong balances or late payments that were reported incorrectly.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to challenge information that is inaccurate, misleading or unverifiable. Bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate a dispute, and information that can’t be verified must be corrected or deleted. You can dispute items on your credit report yourself. Credit Saint reviews your reports across Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, identifies questionable entries and, with your authorization, may challenge them through the formal dispute process. You review the findings and authorize each challenge. Our specialists then monitor bureau responses and manage follow-up disputes when appropriate.
4. New Credit and Inquiries
Each formal credit application typically triggers a hard inquiry, which may lower your score slightly for a short time. Opening several new accounts in a short period can add to this effect. Apply selectively, and only when the need is clear.
5. Credit Mix
A secured credit card can be a useful tool if you have limited credit history or a low score. A deposit, typically equal to the credit limit, reduces lender risk and makes approval easier. Responsible use over time may help both your payment history and your credit mix. An installment loan, if it fits your finances, can add similar variety.
How Does Credit Saint Help?
Improving your credit involves good habits and making sure your report accurately reflects your history. Credit Saint focuses on the accuracy part.
Depending on your situation, our team works with you through the appropriate service level:
Credit Polish: for those beginning to address credit challenges
Credit Remodel: for moderate situations with multiple reporting concerns
Clean Slate: for complex situations that need the most thorough approach
Every plan includes review across all three bureaus, dispute preparation and monitoring. You authorize every step, and our specialists handle the process from there.
There’s no set timeline. It depends on your starting score, the type of negative items on your report and how many factors you’re working on at once. Meaningful change usually takes months of consistent effort. If inaccurate entries are corrected, your score is recalculated using the updated information. Individual results vary.
It can, depending on the scoring model. Some newer models ignore paid collections, so resolving them may help, particularly if they’re marked “paid” on your report. However, the collection record may stay on your report for up to seven years from the original delinquency date, even after payment.
It can. Closing a card reduces your total available credit, which may raise your utilization ratio, and it can eventually shorten your credit history. Keeping older accounts open, especially those with no annual fee and a positive payment history, is usually the lower-risk approach. See does closing a credit card hurt your credit for more detail.
Yes, for many people it is. A secured card requires a security deposit that typically serves as your credit limit, which reduces lender risk and improves approval odds. Keeping balances low and paying on time is reported to the credit bureaus and may help your payment history over time.
Where Should You Start?
Raising a low score isn’t a quick fix. It comes from steady attention to payment history, utilization, credit mix and report accuracy over time. Working on each one step by step is what creates lasting progress.
If inaccurate or unverifiable entries are part of what’s holding your score back, they’re worth addressing directly. Credit Saint can review your reports and challenge items that may be inaccurate, unverifiable or outdated. You authorize every step, and our specialists handle the process from there.
Reviewed By:
Ashley Davison
Editor
Ashley is currently the Chief Compliance Officer for Credit Saint, previously the Chief Operating Officer. Ashley got into the Financial world by working as a Logistics Coordinator at Ernst & Young. Coming from a previous career in education, she is eager to teach the world everything she knows and learn everything that she doesn’t! Ashley is a FICO® certified professional, a Board Certified Credit Consultant, a Certified Credit Score Consultant with the Credit Consultants Association of America, UDAAP certified, and holds a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Compliance Certificate.
