What raises a credit score fastest before a mortgage application?

Utilization is the fast lever

Credit card balances reported against your limits carry heavy weight and update monthly. Paying a card from ninety percent utilization down to under thirty percent can show up on the next report.

Pay before the statement closes, not just before the due date. The balance reported to the bureaus is usually the statement balance.

Slow levers and non levers

Payment history repairs slowly and honestly. Age of accounts cannot be rushed. Collections may or may not help when paid, depending on the scoring model, so ask before paying one off in a hurry.

• Do not close old cards. It shortens history and shrinks total available credit.
• Do not open new accounts while shopping for a mortgage.
• Do not consolidate everything onto one card, since one maxed card can hurt more than several moderate ones.