The CIBIL score acts as one of the most vital factors for assessing whether the application for credit will be approved or denied. Whereas a good credit score may take a matter of minutes for someone to get a credit card or loan, having a low CIBIL score can be a major hurdle for individuals who need financing right away. A strong credit score might also help you secure loans with reduced interest rates, including credit cards with greater advantages.
Most financial institutions refuse credit requests from individuals with low credit scores (600 or lower). No matter whether the request for loans is approved, the person receiving the loan must pay higher interest costs.
When you’re struggling with a low CIBIL score and wish to raise it to make yourself creditworthy, you must pay close attention to the following considerations:
7 Crucial Steps to Raising Your CIBIL Score
There is no way to instantly strengthen your credit score. To steadily enhance your CIBIL score, you must comply with a few guidelines on a regular schedule. You may increase your credit score and get credit in the days to come by complying with the steps that are listed below:
- Set up periodic alerts or automatic reminders to pay off loan EMIs on time
Whenever you fail to make your loan’s monthly installments by the appointed time, your score on the credit report suffers. Whenever the time comes to pay off your loan’s EMIs or credit card bills, you must be attentive and diligent. Once you fail or skip your EMI transactions, you will not only be penalized, but your credit standing may suffer as well.
The two easiest strategies for preventing payment delays are to set up alerts to return timely payments or to add Standing Instructions to the account you use for banking, which will deduct a specified sum at scheduled times (usually monthly).
- Pay each outstanding credit card debt on time
Plan ahead of time to pay off your credit card debt when it is due. Failure to pay dues has a substantial impact on your CIBIL score, and repeated failures can rapidly drop your credit rating below 600. When you skip the payment deadline, your credit report will indicate it in the Days Past Due section of your CIBIL reports.
Whenever you are unable to cover the full payment before the due date approaches, you must attempt to pay the minimal amount due to ensure that the card issuer refrains from reporting non-payment of all payments to the bureau. Despite the fact that the rest of the unpaid balance will begin to accrue interest for the billing period, you will be given an extra cycle to pay.
- Review your CIBIL score in the CIBIL Report; there may be Technical or Administrative Errors Sometimes
You may have a fantastic credit record, but there may be unknown inaccuracies that affect your credit score. Inaccurate personal data, invalid bank account information, unbalanced outstanding or paid-off values, duplicated accounts, inaccurate Days Past Due or security details, and so on are examples of flaws.
As an illustration, suppose you have previously paid off the balance on the loan and cancelled your account; however, it is still shown to be current due to an administrative mistake on the lender’s behalf. It might substantially lower your credit score. Similarly, you must keep an eye out for other faults and questionable activity.
Address these mistakes by filing a complaint with CIBIL online. Once such inaccuracies are corrected, your credit score will strongly improve.
- Avoid Making Several Credit Applications in a Short Period of Time
There are basically two kinds of credit inquiries: hard and soft. Once you review your credit score for the purpose of becoming credit aware, it is regarded as a soft inquiry. It will have no effect on your credit rating. A hard inquiry occurs when a financial institution or credit card issuer obtains your CIBIL report of credit from the credit bureau in relation to credit card applications.
A hard inquiry every now and then is not going to have an immense effect on your credit score. Multiple hard inquiries in a short period of time, on the other hand, indicate your desire for credit. Lenders may view such candidates as having financial troubles and, hence, a higher chance of credit defaults.
These could ultimately result in the lender or card provider rejecting your credit application.
Credit bureaus thus decrease the credit score of candidates who have recently made several hard inquiries. As a result, if you want to get a loan or a credit card, do your homework, analyze your possibilities, and submit an application to only one source. In case the credit score you have is low and you have the option of taking out credit in the immediate future, strive to raise your CIBIL score first before applying for credit.
- Pick up a secured credit card.
Unpaid credit accounts and payments that are overdue can substantially reduce your credit score. Absolutely no institution would like to provide such individuals with credit cards or a loan. In advance of asking for the loan product, you must repair your credit score to strengthen your credibility with lenders.
In such instances, you can obtain a credit card that is secured in exchange for a fixed deposit. The credit score is not taken into account when authorizing secured credit card applications, so it will be provided quickly. Once given, you can begin repairing your credit score by using it carefully and paying your bills on time. Your credit score may not increase right away, but it will be beneficial in the long run.
- Avoid deleting old credit card accounts
Banks place more faith in candidates who have established a longer credit history and consistently pay their bills on time. Accordingly, no matter whether you no longer use your previous credit card accounts, you shouldn’t be getting them terminated. Although it does not have a quick effect on your credit score, it can be beneficial whenever your request for credit is reviewed by a lending institution in the future.
- Regularly check your co-signed, secured, or joint loan accounts
If the person applying for the loan fails to comply with any of the loan eligibility requirements, the lending company may require the person seeking the loan to have it jointly guaranteed or insured by a co-applicant with stronger credit. The reason for this is the expectation that if the person borrowing the money doesn’t repay the money borrowed, the guarantor may reimburse the remainder of the loan.
When EMIs are not paid on schedule, the credit score of the co-applicant or guarantor suffers alongside that of the person taking out the loan. This means if you are a co-applicant or signer, you must constantly track loan EMI repayments, along with discussing the matter with the recipient of the loan in case there is any default in repaying.
- Selecting an Extended Repayment Period
An extended repayment period may result in more cash on hand and a reduced monthly EMI cost. You might be responsible for paying more interest in full; however, this will enable you to settle your debts more easily every thirty days and will also lower your EMI/NMI proportion.
Lending institutions evaluate your loan application based on your EMI-to-NMI ratios. A smaller EMI/NMI ratio may work in your favour when applying for a loan. If you believe you will have difficulty repaying the loan, you can choose a longer repayment period.
Some more aspects that can aid in credit score improvement
- Attempting to Raise Your Credit Limit
Credit card companies may every now and then increase your credit limit based on your credit card utilization habits. If the company offers you the choice to expand your credit limit, you must take advantage of it because it allows you to access more credit as needed. It does not imply that you must spend a greater amount each month, but rather that you will be responsible for controlling your costs more carefully.
The easy trick is to keep your credit utilization low while having a lot more credit accessible. Many financial professionals recommend keeping your credit usage ratio under 30% in order to improve your credit score.
But luckily, if you’ve achieved a high credit usage ratio and cleared your bills on time, a credit bureau may not penalize you.
- Attempting to keep a balanced credit mix
It is best to hold a balanced mix of unsecured credit. Individuals with numerous credit accounts are more credible than individuals who are novices to credit or just have fewer credit accounts.
Bankers and credit reporting agencies are more likely to have confidence in applicants whose work has handled many different kinds of credit accounts in previous times in a systematic way. Interestingly, no financial institution will refuse you a loan of any kind or credit card if your credit mix is not optimal.
Why Should You Maintain Your Credit Score Along with Credit Reports?
Do you believe that a good credit score is solely necessary for receiving a financial item? Certainly, it is vital for less visible necessities such as accepting a job offer and renting a car. The principle of a credit rating structure is well known. A credit score is a three-digit figure that determines your likelihood of repaying the mortgage on time. It analyses credit report data to determine the likelihood of bad debts. A credit report provides a complete picture of your credit.
A few Frequently Asked Questions about Credit Score Improvement
- Which is probably the most crucial way to enhance one’s credit score?
Developing a credit score is dependent on several elements, the most essential of which involves maintaining the debt utilization ratio below 30%, examining credit reports on a regular basis, and paying off debts timely.
- Is it possible for my credit score to rise by 50 points in just thirty days?
Ans. Yes, you can raise your credit score by up to 50 points, and in extreme situations, up to 100 points.
- How much time will it take to raise one’s credit score?
It may take a long time to enhance one’s credit score. Boosting your credit score is dependent on someone’s financial performance activities; hence, boosting your personal finance tendency might help improve your credit score.
- What makes a good credit score for owning a house?
Ans. If you intend to give assets as security for the loan, you must have a credit score of 620 or higher. Buyers with a credit score of 750 or greater can obtain house loans at a competitive interest rate, and in some situations, the interest rates are substantially lower compared to what the market is currently offering.
- What must you avoid doing in order to boost your credit score?
Holding payments due or paying late; grabbing up too much credit; cancelling old or current credit accounts—these are all factors to steer clear of while trying to develop a good credit score.
- What factors can harm your credit score?
Submitting late payments, holding a high debt-to-credit ratio, asking for many lines of credit at once, blocking credit accounts, and ceasing credit-related activity for a long duration of time are all indicators that can harm your credit score.
- What is the most important thing influencing your credit score?
Payment track record is the most important element influencing your credit score. A track record of making timely payments is excellent for a person’s credit score; however, late payments might harm your score. Foreclosures, tax liens, and bankruptcies can all have bad effects on your credit score.
- What effect will a credit score have on a loan?
A higher credit score enhances the likelihood of loan qualification. Lenders offer inexpensive mortgage interest rates and fees, allowing users to take advantage of them.