Hit 750 and beyond: A simple six-month roadmap to boost your CIBIL score

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Six months is more than enough to make real and tangible progress toward improving your CIBIL score, provided you take the correct steps consistently. A score above 750 not only boosts your loan eligibility but also helps you access better interest rates, quicker approvals, and higher credit limits. Be it a thin credit file or recovery from past delays, the next few months can make all the difference once you understand how lenders look at your credit behaviour and how small actions build into major improvements.

First, check your report for errors

Pull out your latest CIBIL report and check for discrepancies. Sometimes incorrect account information, outdated loan closures, or wrongly reported delays can pull down your score without you realising it. If you find an error, make sure you raise a dispute immediately through the Bureau's portal so that the issue gets corrected. A clean report gives you a strong starting point and helps make sure your efforts reflect properly in the score.

Pay every bill on time, starting from this month onwards

In fact, one of the major contributors to this score is your repayment history, where a single delay automatically slows this down. Set up automatic payments through standing instructions or UPI autopay. In case there are any overdue amounts pending, clear those ASAP since late payments are a sign of instability in the eyes of lenders. Consistent payment behaviour for six months alone will push this upward steadily.

Reduce the credit utilisation ratio

If your credit card utilisation regularly crosses 40 percent of your limit, your score may not rise as fast as you would expect. Try keeping monthly usage below this level by spreading expenses across cards or requesting a higher credit limit from your bank. A higher limit with low spending signals responsible behaviour and automatically lowers your utilisation ratio, thereby improving your score over time.

Apply for only one loan at a time

Frequent loan or card applications generate hard enquiries, and too many of these within a short time will make you appear credit-hungry. You need to space applications out, and avoid 'trying out' new credit products during your six-month period of improvement. If you really need to take on a loan, compare and choose carefully to avoid making more than one application where you don't have to.

Close only the accounts you do not need

The presence of old accounts with a long repayment history improves your credit profile. So, do not hurry to close such accounts. If you must close, shut those accounts that have short tenure or have no repayment track record. The longer your credit history, the better lenders perceive your behaviour, helping your score go up steadily.

Consider a secured credit card if you have a thin file

A secured card against a fixed deposit will help a person create a regular repayment pattern if one is just starting to build credit. Use it for small, manageable expenses and pay the full amount each month. Within six months, this disciplined usage starts contributing positively to one's overall creditworthiness, making it easier to cross the 750 mark.