Key financial strategies you should adopt to improve your credit score this year

Credit is top of mind for many folks as 2024 begins. Nearly four in five Americans (79 per cent) are trying to improve their credit, a recent NerdWallet survey showed.

Getting ahead of surprises will go a long way in protecting your credit.

Holiday debt is among the key factors that could impact your credit in the new year.

Holiday purchases could follow you for months. NerdWallet’s 2023 Holiday Shopping Report found that about half of Americans (52 per cent) incurred credit card debt when shopping during the last holiday season, and of them, 31 per cent still have not paid off their balances. Payment history is the biggest factor influencing your credit scores.

If you are carrying debt, make at least the minimum payments on your cards to keep your payment history intact and shield your scores.

But paying a higher amount, if you are able to, is better for your credit utilisation – another major factor in score calculations.

Using too much of available credit can make you appear risky to lenders.

“You want to keep your credit balance under 30 per cent of what your credit limit is to get a good score,” says Marianne Nolte, a certified financial planner in Arizona.

Paying balances in full will keep your credit use low and spare you interest charges.

To prevent bookending the year with debt, start planning 2024 holiday spending now, says Heath Carelock, a financial counsellor in Maryland.

Setting spending limits for gifts, making lists and being honest with loved ones about your situation are strategies Mr Carelock recommends.

“Just say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m going to be able to do this year’ and be fine with that, and not worry about the judgment or potentially the embarrassment or guilt over not being able to spend freely,” he says.

Debt is surging outside of holiday spending, too.

Debt balances of all types increased by $228 billion in the third quarter of 2023, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said.

The bank also found that credit card delinquencies have risen above pre-pandemic levels, particularly among millennials. Many experts expect this trend to continue in 2024.

“We’re likely to see people start running out of room with their available credit and encountering more difficulty affordably repaying the debt that they owe,” says Bruce McClary, senior vice president of membership and communications at the National Foundation for Credit Counselling.

“We’re dealing with shrinking savings and increasing debt. And that’s never a good recipe.”

If your credit card account becomes delinquent, usually when it is 30 days or more past due, pay the bill as soon as possible.

The later a payment gets, the more damage it does.

Negative marks may hinder your ability to open new lines of credit or secure desirable interest rates.

Try calling your card issuer or writing a goodwill letter to ask if it will remove the missed payment from your reports.

Thinking about applying for a credit card or loan this year?

Opening an account raises your overall credit limit and potentially adds to your mix of credit types, aiding your score.

However, it can also drag down your average credit age or tempt you to spend more of your available credit, causing your score to slip.

Records of hard inquiries, when lenders check your credit file, also stay on your credit reports for two years.

Borrow only if necessary, and Mr Carelock recommends comparing annual fees and interest rates.

If you’re carrying debt, look for a card that offers balance transfer with a zero per cent annual percentage rate during the introductory period.

Before you apply, check your credit score and reports to see what lenders will see, Mr McClary says.

“If there’s a little mess to clean up in terms of inaccurate information, you should build in at least a little bit of time to address those things.”

Make at least minimum payments on your cards to keep your payment history intact and shield your scores