Smart Tips To Improve CIBIL™ Score

A good CIBIL™ score acts as proof of the individual’s credibility and is important while applying for a new credit card or getting loan approval. A CIBIL™ score is a 3-digit number that ranges from 300-900. The closer the score to 900 the better will be your credit profile. It is an important screening criterion used by banks and lenders to determine the creditworthiness of an applicant.

Achieving a good CIBIL™ score can take a long time, but it is not impossible. For individuals who wish to avail credit facilities at reasonable terms, it is important to have a good CIBIL™ score. The need for a good CIBIL™ score arises when you have a poor or no credit score at all. When you are planning to apply for a new credit card or loan, you will need to have a good CIBIL™ credit score. Here, we explain some of how you can work towards improving your CIBIL™ score.

Top Ways to Improve CIBIL™ Score

Periodically Check Your Credit Report

Regularly checking your credit report can help in learning if there is any misinformation in the report and also important details that impact your credit score. This helps in immediately fixing the credit score since negative information that has been incorrectly presented can be remediated by the credit agency. The next thing to check in the credit report is any loan or credit card defaults or delayed payments. These can significantly bring down your credit score and are therefore important to work upon. Make Corrections to Errors

It is important to dispute all errors as soon as possible to CIBIL™. A dispute that is acted upon within 30 days can help in the fast rectification of misinformation like a low credit score.

Ensure Low Credit Utilization Ratio

Try to use your credit card only for essential transactions and not for all. Try to limit your credit utilization ratio to 30% or less. This will help you to achieve a good CIBIL™ score in the long run.

Don’t Apply for Credit Immediately Post Rejection

In case you have applied for a loan or a credit card and the same is rejected, the information gets recorded in your credit report. If you immediately apply for fresh credit after such rejection, it can result in a low credit score since banks and lenders will consider this as your credit hunger. The ideal step in such cases is to avoid applying for fresh credit and work towards improving your credit score before making a fresh application.

Limit Number of Applications

Every time you apply for fresh credit, the bank or lender will request CIBIL™ for your credit report. Such inquiries get recorded in the credit report. This can also cause the score to drop with each request on your report. It displays that you are credit hungry and your credit score can come down and impact your chances of easily getting credit in the future.

Ensure Timely Loan Repayments

In case there are any outstanding loans, make sure that you do not delay the payments and prioritise these over all other payments. If you are facing a financial crunch and are unable to make timely EMI payments, you can approach your bank for restructuring your debt and request them for extended loan tenure or modification of other loan terms.

Avoid Settling Loans and Credit Cards

Sometimes people may opt for credit card and loan settlement in the hope to clear negative points from their credit report. This requires approaching the lender and requesting closure of debt by accepting a lower amount than the actual due amount. While banks may entertain such requests, such settlements do not reflect positively on the credit report and mostly hurt the credit score.

Choose the Right Credit Mix

Normally, loans come in two formats, secured and unsecured. If you have borrower too many unsecured loans, banks see it as a negative sign and may decline future loans. It is ideal to opt for both unsecured loans such as personal loans and secured loans such as car or home loans. This will help in maintaining a good credit score.

Additional Reading: How Can I Improve My CIBIL™ Score Quickly

Conclusion

A bad credit score can hamper the chances of getting future credit. However, it can always be improved by taking the right steps. It may take a few months to get to an acceptable or good credit score, hence, you must begin taking the right actions and showcasing good credit behaviour.

Smart Tips To Improve CIBIL™ Score FAQs