Episode•January 26, 2023•19 min

Markia Brown: How To Improve Your Credit Score Fast | Ep. 197

In this episode, credit expert Markia Brown shares her top tips for improving your credit score fast. From paying your bills on time to disputing incorrect information on your credit report, she offers easy-to-follow advice that anyone can follow. About Our Guest Markia Brown is a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠, Registered Financial Associate, and creative who teaches young adults how to achieve true financial wellness and improve their quality of life. With over 200,000 followers on Tik Tok, Markia demonstrates an ability to educate, inspire, and communicate with all ages, especially Millennials and Gen-Z, through relatable, easily digestible user-generated financial literacy content. Due to her entertaining and relatable content, Markia was selected for TikTok’s creator program for black content creators, known as #BlackTikTok. She is also a graduate of WPP’s 2022 NextGen Leaders Program. She has been featured in multiple online publications as a subject matter expert in personal finance and has been a repeat guest for WJZY’s Queen City News in Charlotte, NC. Connect With Markia Follow her on TikTok: @themoneyplug.co Follow her on Instagram: theemoneyplug Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

1
Focus on understanding your credit report, not just chasing the score number
Markia emphasizes that people obsess over the numerical score without understanding where it comes from
Pull your credit report weekly (available since COVID) from annualcreditreport.com to identify inaccuracies
Learn to read your report: identify derogatory information, understand balance discrepancies across bureaus
2
Credit improvement requires mindset work and accountability, not shortcuts
Markia stresses that fixing credit starts with fixing your mindset first
Ask yourself: What got you here? What are your goals? What are you willing to do?
She shares her personal journey of bad credit and learning that shortcuts don't work
3
Manage the five credit score categories individually for sustainable improvement
Payment history (35%), Credit utilization (30%), Length of credit history (15%), Mix of accounts (10%), New credit/inquiries (10%)
Work section by section: pay bills on time, reduce utilization, build credit age, diversify account types
Your score improves naturally when you manage each category properly
4
Communicate with creditors before problems escalate
Contact creditors before missing payments - many have hardship programs
Example: Victoria's Secret offers payment coverage if you lose your job (opt-in program)
Car lenders may defer payments if notified before becoming late, avoiding repossession reporting
Late payments aren't reported until day 31, giving you 30 days to resolve
5
Use authorized user status strategically and monitor credit health without obsession
Get added as authorized user on parent's card with 100% on-time payments and low utilization
Remove yourself if the account stops benefiting you (e.g., high utilization dragging score down)
Check credit score for awareness, not anxiety - understand what causes fluctuations
Don't stalk your score daily; focus on consistent responsible financial behavior

Intro

In this episode, host Tiffany Grant talks with credit expert Markia Brown about improving credit scores through understanding credit fundamentals rather than seeking quick fixes.
Markia Brown is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Registered Financial Associate, and TikTok creator (@themoneyplug.co) with over 200,000 followers teaching young adults financial wellness. She is a board-certified credit repair specialist who shares her personal journey from bad credit to financial wellness.

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– The Problem with Score-Chasing Mentality

I low key hate when people ask me that question... people are so focused on the number and not where that number came from.
– Markia Brown

Markia explains that people want 'tricks' to boost numbers rather than understanding credit as a representation of payment ability. She references cultural messaging (Lil Baby lyrics, 'credit is a scam' trends) that discourage credit building.

– Credit Repair Requires Mindset, Not Just Money

It's going to take a lot more than you just throwing money at me to fix your credit. We got to talk about your mindset.
– Markia Brown

Markia shares that clients expect her to 'make their credit look cute' with money alone. She requires Zoom calls to convey seriousness and asks the critical question: 'What are you willing to do to get where you want to be?' She emphasizes her credibility comes from lived experience, not textbooks.

– Pull and Understand Your Credit Report

Step one: Pull your credit report (now available weekly since COVID via annualcreditreport.com). Know what's on it, not just your score. Learn to identify derogatory information and balance discrepancies across bureaus.

The five scoring categories: Payment history (35%), Credit utilization (30%), Length of credit history (15%), Mix of accounts (10%), New credit/inquiries (10%). Work through each section systematically.

– Pay Bills on Time and Communicate with Creditors

Pay your bills on time is probably the most underrated piece of advice... life happens. And we get that.
– Markia Brown

Don't avoid creditors when struggling. Many have hardship programs (Victoria's Secret payment coverage, car payment deferrals). Contact them BEFORE becoming late. Late payments aren't reported until day 31.

They just want the money. They would rather work with you... than go to court and repossess the car.
– Markia Brown

– Building Credit Age and Strategic Account Management

Young adults lacking credit history can become authorized users on a parent's card with perfect payment history and low utilization. However, monitor this - remove yourself if the account's high utilization hurts your score.

Don't obsessively check your score daily. Understand what causes fluctuations. Close unused cards proactively rather than letting creditors close them unexpectedly.

– Where to Find Markia Brown

TikTok (@themoneyplug.co) has 200+ videos. YouTube channel 'WWTMPD' (What Would The Money Plug Do) archives live sessions. Join email list at MarkeiaBrown.com for credit tips and news alerts.

Resources

Topics

credit scorecredit repairfinancial literacypersonal financeauthorized userpayment historycredit utilizationcreditor communicationmindsetyoung adults