I’m often asked about the best ways to improve a consumer’s credit scores. Is it by paying bills on time or is it better to pay off credit card debt? Or, is it by avoiding any new, unnecessary credit? The answer, of course, is that all of those factors are important to achieving and maintaining a good credit score. But, apart from the basics, how to improve a credit score is going to vary from consumer to consumer. There is no single universal path from your current credit score to a high credit score because few consumers’ credit reports are identical. There is, however, a tool that will best identify your path: the reason code.
Reason codes are most often delivered along with credit scores when they’re provided by the credit reporting companies (CRCs). These codes identify the top reasons why your credit score wasn’t higher. After all, what better way to improve your credit scores than by addressing the most significant reasons why they’re not higher in the first place?