If you don’t get off the ground, you won’t be able to build your company to new heights. Raising capital is a crucial part of that process, and you may need to take on debt to do it. But, if your credit is less than ideal, it can take years to find the proper funding if at all. However, if you know how to track and improve your credit score, particularly your FICO score, you’ll be one step closer to making your dreams a reality.

Track Your FICO Score

The three major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, all calculate your score a little differently yet are crucial to your credit scores health. By law, though, you’re restricted to one free report from each entity a year. To find these, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. As you scan over these documents, if you find any inaccuracies, you can dispute it. To do this, there’s an error reporting section on each of the bureau’s websites where you can address it. At that point, the organization you’re reporting the issue will contact the creditor in question for more information. If they don’t respond within a month, the debt is removed from your credit history, thus increasing your score.

Improve Your Score

To improve your score, the first thing you need to do is pay the minimum balance on your statements by the due date. Next, avoid carrying a balance of more than 30% on your credit cards. And lastly, make more than one payment a month. Every time you make a payment, you’re improving your credit utilization ratio, which helps boost your credit score.

Navigating credit scores can be daunting, so talk with a credit professional to ensure you’re increasing your credit score at the rate you need. If you’re an AFEUSA member needing to repair your credit, take advantage of your exclusive offer with The Credit Clinic. They will ensure you have a strategy to get the score you need to make your business a reality.