How to Improve Your Credit Score Fast
- ajitkainth
- Jul 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Looking to improve your credit score fast? Start by paying your bills on time, reducing your credit utilisation, and checking your credit reports for errors. These key steps can help raise your score especially if you're seeking bad credit mortgage advice and want to increase your chances of approval.
Key points about improving your credit score
Timely payments and low credit utilisation are the most impactful actions.
Keep old accounts open and consider adding a secured credit card if your profile is limited.
Check your credit reports regularly and dispute any errors that could be affecting your score.
Limit new credit applications and use eligibility checkers before applying.
If you have poor credit, seek professional bad credit mortgage advice to improve your chances of approval.
Did You Know?
Experian considers a credit score above 881 as "good" and 961+ as "excellent". (Source: Experian UK)
Closing a credit card can hurt your score if it shortens your credit history or increases your utilisation rate.
Paying just the minimum on credit cards doesn’t hurt your score directly, but you’ll pay more in interest and take longer to reduce debt.
You can build credit even without a loan, simply by responsibly using a phone contract, utility bills, or a credit card.
How Do Credit Scores Work?
In the UK, your credit score is calculated by credit reference agencies such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each agency uses slightly different scoring systems, but the goal is the same: to indicate how likely you are to repay borrowed money.
Your score is influenced by:
Payment history – Do you pay your bills on time?
Credit utilisation – How much of your available credit are you using?
Credit history length – How long have you held credit accounts?
Credit mix – Do you use various types of credit (loans, cards)?
Recent applications – How many times have you applied for credit recently?
Having a poor score can make it harder to access mortgages, credit cards, or personal loans but it’s never too late to start improving it.
Strategies for Improving Your Credit Score
If you’re working towards mortgage approval especially with bad credit mortgage advice in mind these targeted actions can help boost your score more quickly.
1. Prioritise Timely Payments
One of the most impactful ways to boost your score is by paying bills and debts on time.
Make payments on time Lenders see consistent, timely payments as a sign of responsibility. Automate your payments to avoid missing due dates.
Pay off high-interest debts first Prioritise debts with high interest rates. Not only does this reduce your overall interest, but it also shows lenders that you're serious about financial management.
2. Manage Credit Utilisation
Credit utilisation refers to how much of your available credit you’re using.
Keep your credit utilisation ratio low Aim to use no more than 30% of your available credit limit. For example, if you have a credit limit of £3,000, try to keep your balance below £900.
Request a credit limit increase By increasing your credit limit (while keeping your spending steady), your utilisation ratio decreases. Just make sure this doesn’t tempt you to spend more.
Avoid maxing out credit cards High balances on credit cards even if you pay them off monthly can hurt your credit score. Try to spread your expenses across multiple accounts or pay off balances mid-cycle.
3. Diversify and Maintain Your Credit History
Lenders favour individuals who can manage different types of credit responsibly.
Establish a healthy credit mix A combination of credit cards, retail accounts, personal loans, or a mortgage can demonstrate well-rounded credit use.
Maintain old credit accounts Length of credit history matters. Closing an old account shortens your credit history and can negatively affect your score. Keep old, fee-free accounts open.
Consider a secured credit card If you’re building or rebuilding credit, a secured credit card (backed by a deposit) can help demonstrate positive payment behaviour.
4. Be Cautious with New Credit Applications
New applications can trigger "hard inquiries" on your credit file, which may temporarily lower your score.
Limit new credit applications Only apply for credit when necessary. Multiple applications in a short time can be a red flag to lenders.
Research before applying Use eligibility checkers (which run soft searches) to see if you’re likely to be accepted before you apply. This reduces unnecessary hard inquiries.
5. Monitor and Address Inaccuracies
Errors in your credit report can damage your score. Always stay vigilant.
Regularly check your credit reports You’re entitled to a free statutory credit report from each agency annually. Services like ClearScore, Experian, or Credit Karma make it easy.
Dispute inaccuracies promptly If you spot any incorrect information—like a payment wrongly marked as late—contact the credit reference agency immediately. They’re required to investigate and correct any proven errors.
What Should You Avoid?
Taking payday loans – These can raise concerns for future lenders.
Closing old accounts unnecessarily – This can shorten your credit history.
Applying for too much credit at once – It creates the impression you’re financially overextended.
What If You Have Bad Credit?
If you’re working with a poor credit score, your mortgage options may be limited, but all is not lost. With guidance from a specialist adviser like those at Ape Finance you can explore bad credit mortgage advice, understand lender criteria, and work towards approval with practical solutions tailored to your situation.
About Ape Finance – Your Partner in Mortgage Success
At Ape Finance, we specialise in helping people just like you. Whether you're a first-time buyer or have struggled with bad credit in the past, our expert team provides bad credit mortgage advice that works.
We’ll help you:
Understand your credit file
Take practical steps to improve your credit
Find mortgage products that suit your financial circumstances
With the right advice and consistent effort, your mortgage goals are well within reach.
Take Control of Your Credit Score
Improving your credit score doesn’t happen overnight, but with discipline and the right strategies, meaningful progress is possible. Whether you’re working toward mortgage approval or simply aiming for better financial health, every positive step no matter how small makes a difference.
With personalised mortgage advice from Ape Finance, you can move forward with confidence, knowing you’re on the right path to securing the loan that fits your goals.
For further insight on credit requirements for mortgages, you can also read our related blog: What Credit Score Do You Need for a Mortgage?
