There is no denying that improving your credit score isn’t the easiest task. Your credit score is one of the most important things that you need to have when it comes to personal finance, yet it is something that a lot of people struggle with.
Destroying your credit score is actually pretty easy, but improving and maintaining it, not so much. This is mainly because it takes time to improve your credit score, this isn’t an easy fix, and it definitely isn’t something that you can do overnight.
In order to improve your credit score, you have to be very patient, especially if you are trying to build a good credit score, starting from 0.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at what a 700 credit score means, how long it takes to achieve one when starting from scratch, and how you can help this. So to find out more, keep on reading.
What Is A 700 Credit Score?
First things first, let’s take a look at what a 700 credit score is. As you probably already know, credit scores are gathered into bands, from which it is decided if your credit score is good, bad, and so on.
A 700 credit score is not a perfect score by any means, but it is the beginning of the ‘good’ category. So, a credit rating of 700 and above is desirable.
If you have a credit score below 700, this doesn’t mean that you will not be accepted for credit. But, it does mean that you will end up paying more and having bad rates, simply because you are deemed a higher risk by lending agencies.
As soon as your credit score crosses over into the ‘good’ category, you will then begin to have access to good rates on finance agreements, such as loans and credit cards.
While a credit score below 700 will not prevent you from having access to loans and credit cards, it could prevent you from being accepted for a mortgage.
This is generally why a lot of people aim to achieve a credit score of 700 or more. But if you are starting from 0, you might be wondering how long it will take you to do this, and more importantly why it takes so much time.
Why Does It Take Time To Build A Good Credit Score?
So building a good credit score takes time, but why is this? The main reason why it takes time to build a good credit score is because a credit score will look at a number of different things.
Your credit score not only looks at how you handle your finances, but it also looks at how you handle your finances over time. It is impossible to know how you handle your finances over time, without actually giving it time.
In order to truly understand why it takes time to build a good credit score, you need to understand what makes up your credit score. So here is a quick breakdown:
- Payment History – 35% – Do you make payments on time and consistently?
- Amount Borrowed – 30% – How much money have you borrowed in relation to your available credit?
- Your Credit History – 15% – How long have you been using credit accounts?
- New Credit – 10% – Have you opened new credit accounts in a short period of time?
- Credit mx – 10% – What is your experience with managing credit cards/loans?
Depending on the financial decisions that you have made throughout your life, you will be viewed as more or less trustworthy by credit agencies.
Typically speaking, those with lower credit balances, and responsible repayment plans will be viewed more favorably by credit agencies. This is enforced even further if you maintain this behavior over a long period.
How Long Does It Take To Get A 700 Credit Score From 0?
The world of credit scores can often be confusing. A lot of people expect that you will have a good credit score if you have never used credit, but unfortunately this isn’t the case.
In order to have a good credit score, you have to use credit. So, if you have not previously used any credit agencies, then you will not have a credit rating. This is the main reason why you might find yourself having to build a good credit score from zero.
It isn’t the answer that you want to hear, but it will take a while to get a 700 credit score when starting from 0. This is because you will have to take out credit from an agency, use it, and make responsible repayments every month in order for your credit score to improve.
Until you have taken out a credit agreement, you will not have a credit score at all. You will have to complete credit activity in order for you to get a credit score, and it will typically take around 6 months of activity for you to get a credit rating. But, it is unlikely that this credit score will be good.
Achieving an excellent credit score is something that takes years. But if you are responsible with your repayments, and do not begin to take out unnecessary credit, you will usually be able to achieve a good credit score in just over a year.
Here are a few ways to start building a good credit score:
- Become an authorized user on another person’s credit card.
- Open your own secured credit card account.
- Get a credit-builder loan.
- See if any non-credit bills can be used towards your credit score (i.e., check with your landlord to see if they report to credit bureaus)
Summary
Once you have started building your credit score, you not only need to work to improve it, but you also need to work to maintain it.
It can be very easy to let your credit score slip away from you, so always make sure that you keep on top of your repayments, and do not borrow beyond your means.
Otherwise, getting your credit score to 700 from 0 could be a lot more difficult than you ever imagined.
