If you’re applying for a loan or a new job and you have a low credit score, you’ll likely want to find a way to increase your credit score quickly. Fortunately, you don’t need a hacker in order to quickly raise your score; instead, there are some easy steps that you can take on your own. Here are 5 hacks for repairing your credit score:

1. Reduce Credit Card Charges

A lot of times, people damage their credit rating when they use more credit than they can pay off on time. Even one missed payment will accrue interest, and multiple missed payments can negatively impact your credit score. If you reduce the number of charges you make to your credit card, it will help you to catch up on your payments. Remember that things can happen at any time which may affect your financial situation – such as the loss of a job or a hospital visit – so it’s best to be cautious now. Once you stop missing payments and accruing interest, you’ll see improvement in your credit rating.

2. Have a Reasonable Recurring Credit Charge

That’s not to say that you should close out your credit cards completely. A good way to increase your credit score while still making sure that you can make timely payments is to have a small recurring charge to your credit card. If you have a Netflix account or a gym membership, these are good charges for your credit card. They’ll help you build your credit, but they’ll also be manageable charges that you can pay off before they can even accrue interest.

Other recurring payments are also good for your credit score. Mortgages, car loans, and student loans all are considered their own credit lines. If you pay them off in a timely manner, they are great ways to boost your credit score. In addition, a house and a car are both considered assets, which will help to improve your debt to income ratio.

3. Use Extra Funds to Pay Off Debt

When you get extra money from a tax return, bonus, or gift, it’s tempting to treat yourself with this unexpected money. However, it’s a much better idea to use these funds to pay off your debts. Credit cards should be your first focus since they accrue the most interest. The exception is if your house or car is on the verge of being repossessed; in that case, you’ll want to pay off those loans first.

Another option for these extra funds is to invest them. Stocks and other such investments all calculate into your assets, thus improving your debt to income ratio.

4. Check Credit Report for Errors

Often the quickest way to boost your credit score is to get errors on your credit report fixed. You can get a free credit report every year, so take advantage of this to search for errors on your report. Many times, people will find mistakes that are negatively impacting their credit score. If you find such an error, you can dispute it and get your credit rating fixed.

5. Consult with a Credit Repair Company

No one knows how to boost your credit score quicker than a credit repair company. They can evaluate your current credit state and help you work out the best ways to improve your score.

If you’re ready to get your credit repaired, contact Build My Scores. They will help you identify errors on your report and get your credit score boosted before your low score can negatively impact your life. Call them today to learn more about their credit monitoring and repair services.