Drive-up windows, next-day service, and quick fixes; in our society of impatience, we want things to happen quickly. The same attitude is typical when it comes to repairing our credit scores. We know it's important to have as high a score as possible and that when practiced over a long enough time period, a dedication to using credit responsibly will cause your credit score to rise. But what if you need results sooner than that? If you're looking for an easy way you may be able to increase your score by a few points, here are 3 tricks of the trade:

   1. Make payments on your credit cards just before the reporting date so your credit reports show lower balances. Your credit report should show when your creditors are sending account updates to the credit bureaus. Make a note to yourself every month to pay your credit cards 3 to 5 days prior to when the accounts get reported. Your reports will reflect the lower outstanding balance,instead of the balance after your last payment plus new charges added since the payment, giving your credit score a little boost.

   2. Use old credit cards every once in a while. have a few older credit cards that were used only once or twice when buying that new flat panel TV, or a department store credit card you opened to get an extra 30 percent off your purchase. Take those cards out now and then and use them for small purchases you will be able to easily pay off the next month. These old accounts will show activity again which will reflect well on your credit rating.

   3. Available credit is a good thing, so keep your utilization ratios at about 30 or less across all of your cards. For example, if your credit limit is $10,000, maintain a balance at or below $3,300. Furthermore, 3 cards with a $1,000 balance on each is better than one card with a $3,000 balance; same total outstanding balance, but spreading it out helps out your credit score. Although it seems like it shouldn't matter, it does and playing the game will help you achieve the best score.


So a few quick fixes are great, but they're not going to restore a poor credit score. If you are looking to increase a poor credit score by more than a few points, in less time than it would take for a credit score to improve on its own, you'll need to look beyond simple fixes. Depending on your unique credit situation, increasing your credit score may require disputing questionable negative items on your credit reports, paying down high account balances, diversifying your credit portfolio, reorganizing your credit accounts, or a combination of tactics.

Solving credit score problems takes more than a quick fix. It takes time and perseverance to clean up your credit reports. It will be worth it in the end, and in a culture where instant gratification is expected, credit repair proves that there are things worth waiting for.