How to Improve Your Credit Score While Paying Down Debt
How Credit Scores Are Calculated
Your FICO score is based on five factors: payment history (35%), amounts owed or credit utilization (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%), and credit mix (10%). Understanding this breakdown helps you focus on what moves the needle most: making on-time payments and keeping credit card balances low relative to your credit limits.
Payment History Is King
Payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score — the single largest factor. Even one missed payment can drop your score by 60-100 points and stays on your report for seven years. While paying down debt, never miss a minimum payment. Set up autopay for at least the minimum on every account. If you've already missed a payment, get current as soon as possible and stay current — the impact of old late payments diminishes over time.
Reduce Your Credit Utilization
Credit utilization — the percentage of your available credit you're using — accounts for 30% of your score. Aim to keep utilization below 30% overall and on each individual card. Below 10% is even better for your score. As you pay down credit card balances, your utilization drops and your score rises. This is one of the fastest ways to improve your score. You can also request credit limit increases (without increasing spending) to lower your utilization percentage.
Don't Close Old Accounts
It may be tempting to close a credit card once it's paid off, but this can hurt your score in two ways: it reduces your total available credit (increasing utilization) and shortens your average account age. Instead, keep old accounts open, use them occasionally for small purchases, and pay the balance in full each month. The length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your score.
Monitor and Dispute Errors
Regularly check your credit reports from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) at AnnualCreditReport.com. Dispute any errors you find — incorrect late payments, accounts that aren't yours, or paid-off debts still showing as active. Credit report errors are surprisingly common and can drag down your score unfairly. Fixing them can result in quick score improvements.