There are a number of things you can do to improve your credit score quickly, and other things you can do to improve it over a longer period of time. Before you get started: you need to check your credit score to see what your baseline is.
You can check your credit score for free through Finder. It takes a couple of minutes and then you'll know exactly what your score is. You'll get a score between 0 and 1,000. The higher the better.
Along with the score you'll get your credit report, which contains:
Once you have your credit score you can identify the best ways to increase it.
Look at the details contained in your credit report. If it all looks accurate, then jump to step 3. But if you find any errors you can get them corrected and your credit score should increase pretty quickly.
Here are some examples of possible errors:
You can request a correction on your credit report through the agency that issued the report. And you can contact the credit provider that made the mistake directly.
You'll need some personal identification, plus the report, the specific detail you're challenging and evidence of the error.
Fix the biggest issues dragging your credit score down as soon as possible. Red marks on your credit report are usually:
Prioritise paying off any outstanding debts, especially a default. Make sure you pay any missed payments before the 14 days if possible. Paying off an outstanding payment looks better on your credit report but the missed payment or default is still recorded.
It sounds obvious, but don't miss a payment on your credit card or loan. Pay off at least the minimum on your credit card before it's due.
🔥 Hot tip
Set up direct debits so payments are made automatically. Just make sure you have money in the bank account to cover the payment.
If you have a credit card you hardly ever use, a personal loan nearly paid off or any other debts you can pay out and close, doing so will instantly give your credit profile a boost.
This is because when you cancel a credit card, you're reducing the amount of overall debt you have access to. This is seen as a positive and may improve your credit score.
If you already have a credit card and you're making repayments on time, you can further improve your credit score by lowering the card limit. That's the maximum amount you can spend using the card.
It's much easier to get into financial trouble with a card that lets you spend $10,000 versus one with a limit of $2,000. If you don't need to make big purchases on your credit card, lower your limit and your credit score should increase by the following month.
Your credit record collects both positive data (all the years you've spent paying your phone, internet, electricity and gas bills on time) and negative data (late payments, defaults). When you pay your bills on time, you're building a positive credit score over time. Setting up direct debits for your bills (or even automatic reminders) is the easiest way to do this.
You might think someone who has never had a cent of debt to their name would have a perfect credit score. But that's not the case.
To prove you are a reliable borrower you need to actually have a history of managing debt responsibly. If you've never had a loan or credit card before it can be hard to show this. You can start to build your credit rating with a credit card.
Just make sure:
Having some debts is good – a borrower with a single credit card and a home loan who never misses a repayment is likely to have a strong credit score.
But if you have 3 credit cards and 2 personal loans, you may struggle to improve your credit score even if you never miss a repayment.
If you can cut down to 1 or 2 credit cards and consolidate your loan debts you can lift your score.
Alternatively, prioritising paying off one of the loans completely would help too. A balance transfer credit card can be the best way to roll card debts into one manageable debt.
Buy now pay later (BNPL) products like Afterpay might not seem like credit products. But using BNPL can harm your credit score.
Missing BNPL repayments will hurt your credit score. And some BNPL providers make a credit enquiry when you sign up, meaning the company takes a look at your credit report. This can impact your credit score too.
When you apply for a loan or credit card the lender requests a copy of your credit report. This is called a hard inquiry and it can negatively affect your report.
This is because multiple applications for credit in a short time are considered a bad sign.
To avoid this:
🔥 Hot tip
Getting rejected for a credit application hurts your credit score because of the hard inquiry mentioned above. Avoid applying for another credit product until you understand why you got rejected for the first one. Multiple inquiries can harm your credit score even more. Checking your own credit score is considered a soft inquiry and doesn't affect the score in any way.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| No | 68.8% |
| Yes | 31.2% |
Unfortunately there is no quick fix or shortcut to improving your credit score. If you have a poor score, it can often take time before you see a huge improvement in your credit rating.
However, by consistently following the steps above you should see your score gradually increase.
One exception may be if you have multiple errors in your credit report that are harming your score. Getting these corrected and removed from your report may have an immediate impact on improving your credit score. In the meantime:
If you've had a very bad run with your finances – missed payments, defaults, a bankruptcy – then time is your friend.
In Australia, defaults stay on your credit report for 5 years. Missed payments stay for 2. If you were declared bankrupt, the bankruptcy stays on your report for 2 years from the end date or 5 years from the date you became bankrupt (whichever of the 2 is later).
So while all the tips we've outlined above are very useful, for people with terrible credit the passage of time also helps a lot. Just avoid getting into more credit trouble in the meantime.
There may be mistakes on your credit report you can fix. And there are companies that offer credit repair services who can fix those for you.
But these companies can charge high fees and are often just doing things you can easily fix yourself, for free.
Paying off debts completely is good financial advice. But it's often worth keeping a credit card you rarely use and have always paid off on time. This card is a good example of your creditworthiness.
Just make sure you keep the limit as low as possible.
If you're struggling to make repayments and need financial help you have options:
Missing a phone bill can end up hurting your credit score, but simply having a mobile plan won't impact your credit report.
The average Australian has a "very good" credit score according to Finder analysis. Here's how credit scores are categorised in Australia, and how to check yours.
Credit reporting bureaus issue credit reports and scores to consumers and lenders. Discover how they work in this guide.
Placing a ban on your credit report can help to protect you from fraud. Here's how to request and extend bans with Experian, Equifax and ilion in Australia.
If you're planning to cancel a credit card, here's what you need to know about the impact it could have on your credit score.
Find out about different credit monitoring services that can keep you informed about changes on your credit report.
How to remove incorrect negative listings from your report and adopt positive money habits to get your credit history back on track.
How to remove enquiries from your report in 4 steps and a guide for improving your credit score.
Discover how you can use a credit card to build or repair your credit history.
If I applied for a personal loan, and then thought “Well, actually. I don’t need it anymore” – does it get put down as “bad” credit? Does it go against “good” credit?
Hi William.
Thank you for leaving a question.
If you cancelled an approved loan then the credit enquiry on your report is considered a neutral listings as they aim to give a credit provider a more fully rounded view of your activities as a borrower. However, making too many credit enquiries in a short space of time can have a negative impact on your credit score and make it difficult for you to be approved for credit. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
How long after bankruptcy can I get loan? It’s been a year so far.
Hello Rae,
Thank you for your comment.
Bankruptcies may stay on your credit report for up to ten years, but there are some lenders who are willing to provide financing one day after a bankruptcy has been discharged.
Please refer to our list of bankrupt loans to compare your options. Please also use the page as your guide and read the article as you can get some tips on how to deal with bankruptcy. The fees and rates may be higher after bankruptcy and you may be required to attach an asset as security or apply with a guarantor.
Please make sure that you’ve read the relevant T&Cs or PDS of the loan products before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you.
Should you wish to have real-time answers to your questions, try our chatbox on the lower right corner of our page.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
I have 4 defaults on my file, but it’s 2 of the same thing? 2 are utility bills, then the other 2 is the same 2 utility bills but are paid.
Hello Danielle,
Thank you for your comment.
If you have a default on your file that you think shouldn’t be there, the first thing to do is to contact the lender. You may need to get in touch with the lender so they can submit an updated report to the credit bureau and have it amended. Please see the tips on how to remove black marks and defaults.
Should you wish to have real-time answers to your questions, try our chatbox on the lower right corner of our page.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
I have 2 court actions on my file from overdue rates dating back to 2014 they were paid early 2015 how do i clear them from my file?
With out being held to ransom and pay an outrageous fee?
Hi Mark,
Thank you for leaving a question.
Court judgement stay on your credit file for 5 years as advised on the Equifax website. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
No debt & been working full time with my employer for 13 years? How is my rating weak?
I’ve had numerous loans & not extensive applications so I don’t understand?
Hi Tabatha,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
Your credit report contains a range of information about your credit history that includes your financial and personal information. There are a lot of factors why you have a weak credit rating like applying for balance transfers too often and maxing out your credit limit which you don’t see on your credit report. Missed repayments, loan defaults, debt agreements and bankruptcy details are collected by credit reporting agencies and can all feature in your credit report.
Your credit score is based on the calculated information collected by credit reporting agencies.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni