How to Increase CRIF Score?

A good credit score is immensely important for getting a loan on favorable terms. But do you know how to work on increasing your credit score?

Read ahead to learn how to improve CRIF score.   

What is a Credit Score?

The credit score is a 3-digit number that tells about your creditworthiness to the lender. Credit scores range from 300-900 and a higher score is always considered better. Even though procuring a loan does not depend only on the credit score, it is a very important factor.

When lenders see a high credit score, they understand that you are a responsible borrower. It also throws a positive light on your credit behavior. That, in turn, helps you negotiate a loan on better terms.

How to Improve CRIF Score?

There are various credit information bureaus like CIBIL, Experian, CRIF, and Equifax. The roadmap to improving your credit score remains the same, as all credit bureaus collect information from the lenders you have ongoing loans.

Here are some pointers about how to increase CRIF score - 

Close Past Dues

If you have any loans that you have left unclosed, consider paying them off. If you leave loans unpaid, they affect your credit score very negatively. 

Also, consider not settling your old loans. Settling a loan refers to making a minimum payment instead of the whole due amount, and the loan gets marked as ‘settled’ on your credit report.

If you have any such loan accounts, you may consider reaching out to the lender and paying off the full amount. That way you can improve your CRIF score.

Make Timely Payments

Searching for ‘how to increase CRIF score’? Paying your ongoing EMIs and credit card bills on time is a great place to start.

In case you are facing a financial emergency, and cannot pay the bills in full, consider paying the minimum amount within the due date. That way you will be able to maintain your CRIF score. 

Credit Utilization Ratio

Credit utilization ratio or CUR refers to the percentage of loan you take to the total loan amount available to you. 30% is the ideal CUR to have, as any higher than this may make you look credit-hungry.

Maintain Your Credit Age 

You should close your old loans, but you should not do the same to credit cards. Older credit cards add to your total credit age, thus closing the older cards would reduce the number of years that you have been actively taking credit.

The best way out of this is to keep a minimum transaction going to keep the older credit cards active.

Diversify Your Credit

Various types of credit on your report show your versatility and ability to maintain different types of financial obligations. Try to build a healthy mix of secured loans, unsecured loans, and credit cards to improve your CRIF score.

Don’t Apply for Too Much Credit

Each time you apply for credit, the bank checks your credit report, which is often referred to as a hard pull. Too many hard pulls on your credit report make it weaker. 

In case you want to know how to improve CRIF score, a good way is to not apply for credit when you already have a low score or are refused credit.

Monitor Your Credit Report 

You might want to take a subscription to one or more credit information bureau reports so you can be updated with your score. When you monitor your score regularly, you can spot any misreporting or errors on your report.

If you spot any, make sure to raise a dispute and get it rectified.

Benefits of a Good CRIF Score

Now that you know how to improve CRIF score, let’s take a look at the benefits of a good CRIF score -

  • Proves your responsibility as a borrower before the lender
  • Shows that you make timely payments
  • Helps in negotiating a lower interest rate 
  • Makes procuring a bigger loan easier
  • Improves the chances of getting a longer tenure
  • Cuts the process of loan application shorter

Conclusion

A good credit score paves your way to easy credit products. It gives you more power to negotiate a loan at affordable interest rates and longer tenures. 

If you have a low credit score and want to know how to improve CRIF score, the key is to be patient. It might take you time to build a good credit score, but it is not impossible. Generally, a CRIF credit score of 700 or 750 is considered good enough for most credit products.

In case you have defaulted on a loan before, you can read this article to know How to Improve CIBIL Score After Default. Or you can read this article on How to Increase CIBIL Score from 300 to 750.

How to Increase CRIF Score - Related FAQs

Both CIBIL and CRIF are well-known credit information bureaus and can be used by banks depending on the type of loan you are applying for. Out of CIBIL and CRIF, CIBIL is the more commonly used credit score in India.

Yes, the CRIF High Mark is approved by RBI and SEBI both.

The CRIF High Mark credit score is used by banks, NBFCs, or lending institutions to learn about the creditworthiness of their borrowers. Lenders may choose any credit information bureau depending on the type of loan applied for as well as their preferences.

The most commonly used credit scores in India are CIBIL, Experian, CRIF High Mark, and Equifax. Out of these, the first two are more commonly used.

A CRIF score of 792 is considered a good score for most loans or credit products. 

Credit Score Related Links

Understand About CIBIL
Experian Credit Score vs CIBIL
Improve Your CIBIL Score
Clear Your CIBIL Problems
Is Credit Score And Cibil Score Same?
What is Experian Credit Score?

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