I’m not a perfectionist, so achieving an 850 credit score was never a goal of mine. However, as a CNET Money editor, I know that having a higher score can help in a lot of ways, including getting approved for loans and scoring a lower interest rate.
I also know that there’s no secret about how to raise your credit score. In fact, it’s pretty boring. Pay your bills on time, don’t use too much of your credit limit at once, build a long credit history over time, etc.
I regularly track my bills and budget, so I typically fall into the good to excellent range and consistently have a score around 800. Since most lenders offer their best terms to those with scores over 760, I know anything over that really doesn’t make much difference. I always felt comfortable knowing I had a little wiggle room in my score but never made an effort to reach 850.
So what did I do differently a few months ago to see my score shoot up the last 20 or so points to perfect? My tip is pretty simple — and you can use it right away to help raise your own score.
How did I get a perfect credit score?
First, let’s lay the groundwork, because you don’t get a perfect credit score in a day (or a month). It’s something you reach by being consistent over time.
I’m in charge of my family’s finances, so I try to be meticulous about paying bills on time (or early) to avoid getting dinged for late or missed payments. To avoid credit card debt, I pay off our credit card balance in full every month, so my credit utilization ratio has never gotten out of control. I also still have a credit card I opened in college, and I’m now (muffles) years old, so that definitely helps my credit history.
But here’s why my score spiked to 850: We were saving up for a family vacation. As the travel date got closer, I wanted to make sure we came home well-rested and not immediately worried about bills.
I put most purchases on our credit cards to earn rewards for everyday purchases, including groceries, subscriptions and utility bills. So I made weekly payments — sometimes multiple times per week — to pay off our credit card balances on an almost daily basis. My credit usage went from the low teens (on average) to 1% to 2% that month. That’s the only thing I changed: paying more often so my credit utilization never had a chance to go up.
The next month, when I checked my credit score, it was 850. It was a nice little surprise, but honestly, it didn’t really make any difference after that moment.
Paying off my credit cards on almost a daily basis was a bit of grind, although I could probably set up autopay through most of my issuers. But so long as I have the money to cover my bills, the monthly payment system works for my family.
And in case you were wondering, my score dropped 15 points when I returned to my normal schedule. So maybe it wasn’t sustainable, but I (and my budgeting method) remain happily imperfect.
