How long does it take to improve a CIBIL™ score?

Are you wondering, how many days to improve CIBIL™ score? A credit score takes a long while to come up to an accepted range and this requires time and patience. There is no short cut to improve a credit score. Hence, instead of being worried about how fast you can boost a low credit score, you must focus on adopting the correct approach to increase it.

A low credit score could mean difficulty in getting a loan sanctioned or availing of a new credit card. All financial institutions check your credit report in detail before offering you any form of credit. A poor credit score can affect your creditworthiness and increase the chances of financial distress. Your credit score is impacted by several factors, such as current outstanding debt, repayment history, new credit applications, etc.

Individuals who have no credit history can also get a credit report with a reasonable credit score in a few months. However, individuals with outstanding loans or missed EMIs (Equated Monthly Instalments) can improve their score in a relatively lesser time.

Why are credit scores important?

The purpose of a credit score or credit report is to help banks in deciding whether a person is creditworthy and can be granted a loan or credit card. A person’s various financial needs can be dependent on his/her credit score. The higher the score, the better chances of easily securing a credit card or getting approval for a loan.

How long does it take to rebuild my credit score?

There is no fixed time for rebuilding your score. Naturally, the lower your score, the longer it will take. A credit score of 750 is seen as the minimum required in order to have a good chance of qualifying for loans and avoiding rejection.

On average, it takes 4-12 months to reach a stage where you can become loan-eligible. If your score is between 650 and 700, it will take a few months to reach 750. If your score is less than 650, it will take more time.

There is no overnight quick fix for improving your score. Just like your health report, it takes some patience, changes in habits, and self-discipline to see results. Once you achieve a good score, the rewards are life-long.

How to get your credit score up?

If you are wondering, how much time it takes to improve the CIBIL™ score, you may also want to know how to improve it easily. For improving your credit score, you first need to understand what a credit score comprises. Here is a brief explanation of credit score and some of how you can work towards improving your credit score:

Credit Score is a 3-digit numeric that can range anywhere between 300-900. It reflects your creditworthiness and provides a summary of your financial capability. A credit score close to 900 is considered excellent. A score above 750 is generally marked as good and is eligible for various financial products. Credit scores below 750 need to be worked upon and also take time to increase.

Best Ways to Improve Credit Score Fast

• Improve Repayment History: By making regular and timely payments of credit cards and loan EMIs, your repayment history can improve. This will result in a higher credit score. In case you miss a payment on your credit card or loan EMIs, your credit score will be significantly impacted and your credit score could fall. Hence, focus on a better repayment history to have an improved score.
• Lower Credit Utilization: The credit utilization ratio is an important factor that is considered while calculating your credit score. A credit utilisation that is maintained at less than 30% of the available credit limit is considered ideal for a good credit score. In some cases, multiple credit lines can help in maintaining a low credit utilization ratio and thereby improve the credit score.
• Healthy Credit Mix: A good mix of secured and unsecured loans can help in building a healthy credit mix. Secured loans help in increasing the credit score since they are mostly long-term. Since the repayment tenure is longer for a home loan, it reflects the borrower’s capability to make regular payments for a longer duration. This helps in maintaining a good credit score.
• Retaining Old Accounts: Most people assume that the closure of old accounts will help in increasing their credit score. However, this is a misconception and it is recommended to retain old accounts like credit cards to improve credit score. Older accounts reflect the borrower’s long-term association with the lender or bank and are considered a good sign by credit bureaus. This, in turn, helps in increasing the credit score.
• Checking Credit Report Regularly: Borrowers should regularly check their credit reports. This is important in maintaining and improving the credit score. Regular checks can help identify incorrect or inaccurate information on your credit report. This can be immediately reported to the credit bureaus instead of letting the lenders use false information. It can also help in protection against fraud and identity thefts.
• Avoiding Multiple Credit Applications: Multiple credit card or loan applications depict credit hungry behaviour on the part of a borrower. This is considered a negative sign by credit bureaus and can significantly affect the credit score. Hence, it is best to avoid multiple credit card applications if you are looking for a good credit score.
• Ongoing Credit Usage: Individuals who have no credit history or have never borrowed any form of credit need to apply for and use a minimum of one credit card. This will initiate the credit score building process. Once they have a credit score, it is easier to avail of new credit from lenders. Credit usage has to be regular and disciplined to ensure a good credit score at all times.
• Judicious Use of Credit Limits: If an individual uses a single line of credit then he/she may exhaust the available credit limit in a short duration. This could result in a reduction of credit score. It is suggested to have multiple lines of credit and ensure judicious usage of available credit to have a good credit score.

Additional Reading: How to improve your credit score?

Additional Points to Remember on Credit Score

Here are some additional points to note while trying to improve your credit score:

• Your credit score is impacted by all the enquires you make on credit cards. Therefore, you should avoid making multiple enquiries at the same time and also avoid in case you have recently applied for a credit card.
• Always focus on prioritizing and balancing your expenditure by segregating importance purchases vs those which can be postponed. Try to maintain a list of all expenses that you need to make and eliminate those which are not essential. This will help in saving cost as well as improve credit utilisation over time.
• Utilising your available credit limit to its full capacity can work against you. Therefore, keep a limit on your expenses and avoid crossing the same every month. Focus on saving money to reflect good credit behaviour with creditors and lenders. This will help in improving the credit score in the future.
• Do not borrow more than you can afford to repay unless you are in financial distress and require money for survival.

EndNote

Credit scores are issued by four main credit bureaus in India. These are CIBIL™, Equifax, CRIF High Mark and Experian. If you want to apply for a loan, make sure to check your credit score in advance. This way, you will know if it is low and needs improvement before making a loan application. The time taken to improve the CIBIL™ score can normally be around 4-12 months, depending on your consistency in reflecting good credit behaviour.

A credit score close to 750 is considered good and it will take lesser time to further improve such a credit score. If your score is lower than 600, it may take longer to achieve a good score.

How long does it take to improve a CIBIL™ score FAQs