6 tips you can use to help improve your credit score

FILE - In this June 15, 2018, file photo, cash is fanned out from a wallet in North Andover, Mass. A personal loan can be a good option when you need money, but it typically requires strong credit and high income to qualify. What if you don’t meet the requirements for a personal loan? Consider several alternative ways to get money, such as family loans and cash advances. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) FILE - In this June 15, 2018, file photo, cash is fanned out from a wallet in North Andover, Mass. A personal loan can be a good option when you need money, but it typically requires strong credit and high income to qualify. What if you don’t meet the requirements for a personal loan? Consider several alternative ways to get money, such as family loans and cash advances. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

By ADRIANA MORGA / Associated Press October 12, 2022 5 min read

NEW YORK (AP) — Credit scores are complicated and because rating agencies consider many factors, the process of improving them can look different for everyone.

When Willard Carpenter, 68, wanted a loan to open a new business, he realized that his credit score was not high enough to get approved. After checking his credit history, he found several issues he needed to solve.

Carpenter’s credit was heavily affected by credit card debt that his father left on their joint account after his death over a year and a half ago. He’s also had no credit cards for at least 10 years — he stopped using them after he declared bankruptcy due to credit card debt.

Now, he is working with a financial advisor to erase his father’s debt from his history and start building up his credit in a safe way.

Here are some tips for how you can do the same: