Quick credit fixes don't work Debt reduction should start with the cards where you're closest to your credit limit. And make sure to make all future payments on time. Some of the other quick fixes that people try usually don't work, says Tom Quinn, Fair, Isaac's director of consumer initiatives. The models look at how you use the credit you've got, rather than the amount you have available. Paying off one delinquent bill won't raise your score by very much if your record is littered with other credit blemishes.
Credit scores consider patterns of behavior.
Credit scores look at how much of your available credit you've used. True, your average debt looks lower compared with your available credit. But new credit lines don't weigh as heavily in the formula as old ones do. You lose points if you never use your credit cards. You don't improve your score by carrying balances forward from month to month, as opposed to paying each bill in full, Quinn says.