Transform Your Credit Score With These Easy Steps | Ep. 254

• Tiffany explains that credit is what lenders use to decide whether to lend money. Lenders pull different credit scoring models depending on the product, which is why one person can have hundreds of different scores.

Depending on the lender, you don't know what they're going to pull and what credit scoring model they're going to use.

• You have three credit reports (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian). Since COVID, you can pull them weekly for free at the only government-mandated site: AnnualCreditReport.com. Phone and mail options are also available.

Anything else, it's not the legit thing... The government site is annualcreditreport.com.

• Tiffany walks through the five factors that make up a FICO score (300-850 range): payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of history (15%), new credit (10%), and credit mix (10%). A "good" score is generally 670+.

• Pay credit card balances strategically to lower utilization
• Request higher credit limits (when responsible) to reduce utilization ratio
• Become an authorized user on a responsible person's card (use with caution)
• Only open accounts that report to the credit bureaus
• Keep utilization low (ideally under 20-25%)
• Review reports regularly and dispute errors

As you pay down what you already owe, your credit score will inevitably go up.

• Tiffany shares a personal story of successfully removing an old debt by simply calling the creditor first. She encourages listeners to check the show notes for deeper resources and to submit their own questions for future episodes.