5 ways to work on your credit score

By Cameron Micallef

October 30 2019
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Having a good credit score is important because it determines whether a consumer will be successful in applying for a home loan, credit card, mobile phone or energy plan, and can potentially impact the payable rate.

Despite this, a divide still exists between Australians who think they are financially savvy and the expectations of credit providers.

To help out, Credit Simple has provided five handy hints to ensure consumers can get the most out of their credit score.

Make sure you pay your bills on time

Until recently, only late or missed payments would show up when applying for a credit score.

Now, an individual’s good and bad behaviour is available to providers.

To ensure a good credit score, the easiest thing consumers can do is keep up to date with their bills. A consumer who has a good track record of paying for a credit product on time is likely to get more credit, more easily.

Collect birthdays

While the one thing we all wish for is more time, older Australians actually have better credit scores than younger Aussies.

Minimise applications

Shopping around for a new credit card or home loan might save you money, but too many applications will actually have a detrimental impact on your credit rating.

Applying for a number of credit cards within a relatively short space of time is not ideal, according to Credit Simple.

And while having a mortgage is more of a good thing than a bad thing, having to constantly get new loans or credit cards isn’t a good look.

Credit Simple cited data that shows consumers who constantly apply for more credit end up significantly more likely to default.

If you’ve defaulted, pay up

A default stays on your file for five years regardless of whether or not you have paid it off, but if you do pay it off it, Credit Simple said it will reduce the negative impact and make you look more responsible.

Two or more unpaid debts will impact your score significantly, and so too will not paying up on time.

Budget

The majority of Australians (68 per cent) think they are good at budgeting; however, nearly 80 per cent would like to get better at it.

“It’s nice to have champagne tastes on a beer budget, but our advice to you is to try and stick to beer while you work on your credit score,” Credit Simple said.

nestegg has reported on the gap between males and females when it comes to paying off debt.

About the author

Cameron Micallef

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

About the author

Cameron Micallef

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

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