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Credit plan

The steps in order to build or improve your credit history for your case, with each one's official source and no brand recommendations.

Free, no sign-up. What you type stays on your phone.

  • Rules verified as of October 17, 2026.
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Answer a few questions and get a step-by-step plan, each step with its source.

Your situation

Your credit history

If you have never had a card or a loan in the U.S., choose "None".

Does any of this apply? (optional)
Your taxpayer number
Do you rent your home?
What do you need it for?
When do you want to buy?

Your credit plan

12 steps

You have done 0 of 12.

This week

  1. Get your three credit reports for free

    At AnnualCreditReport.com you can get the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion reports for free once a week. Checking your own report does not lower your score. If it comes up empty, that is not an error: you simply have no history yet.

    Source: CFPB: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports? ↗ · CFPB: Does requesting my credit report hurt my credit score? ↗

  2. Dispute any error in writing

    Write to the credit bureau and to the company that reported the item, with copies of your proof, by certified mail. By law, the bureau must investigate again for free and resolve it within 30 days of receiving your notice.

    Source: CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report? ↗ · Congreso de EE. UU. (texto en Cornell LII): Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. §1681i, Procedure in case of disputed accuracy ↗

  3. Talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor

    They give independent advice on buying, renting, defaults and credit, often free or at low cost. You can go over your report and your plan with them.

    Source: CFPB: Find a Housing Counselor ↗

This month

  1. Open a secured card

    You deposit an amount (for example, $500) and can spend up to that amount. With on-time payments, the limit can go up, and the deposit comes back. Before signing, ask whether they report to all three bureaus and compare the annual fee and the rate: they can be high.

    Source: CFPB: What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history? ↗ · CFPB: How to rebuild your credit ↗

  2. Or a credit builder loan

    The bank or credit union holds the money as savings while you make small payments, usually for six to 24 months; when you finish, you get it. You build history and savings at the same time.

    Source: CFPB: What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history? ↗

  3. Ask for your rent to be reported

    On-time rent payments can help build your credit. Ask your landlord whether they take part in a rent reporting program (often through a payment app) and check its fees.

    Source: CFPB: Does late rent affect my credit score? ↗

  4. Set up automatic payments

    An automatic payment or a reminder before the statement date prevents the costliest kind of slip: payment history is the main factor in most models.

    Source: CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score? ↗

  5. What does not build credit

    Paying with a debit card or cash, prepaid cards and payday loans do not build history, according to the CFPB. They are ways to pay, not accounts that get reported.

    Source: CFPB: How to rebuild your credit ↗

From here on

  1. Do not close your first account

    A long history of on-time payments helps your score. When a better card comes along, keep the first one open and current.

    Source: CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score? ↗

  2. Only apply for the credit you need

    Opening several accounts in a short time is a risk signal for lenders, and each application leaves a hard inquiry that does affect your score.

    Source: CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score? ↗ · CFPB: What is a credit inquiry? ↗

  3. Watch your debt-to-income ratio

    Lenders divide your monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income to see whether you can handle a new loan. While you prepare, avoid new payments, such as a car.

    Source: CFPB: What is a debt-to-income ratio? ↗

  4. Watch out for "credit repair"

    It is a scam if they charge before doing anything, promise to remove accurate negative information, tell you not to contact the bureaus or to dispute everything. Disputing errors is free by law, and if you already signed up for something like this, you can cancel within three business days.

    Source: CFPB: How can I tell a credit repair scam from a reputable credit counselor? ↗

Guide: credit from zeroDocument checklistFind a housing counselor

An educational plan built on what the CFPB, the NCUA and the federal credit reporting law publish; not individual advice. We recommend no brands and are paid for no product.
Show contents

How is it calculated?

Each step comes from a verified official source; your answers only choose which ones you see and in what order.

The formula

Plan = the actions that apply to your history, in order, with the reference of using less than 30% of each card's limit.

Example with the numbers for the United States

Actions in the plan
15
Recommended card utilization
30%
With an official source
13

Computed from the page's data when it was built; in the tool you replace every number with your own.

A pregnant woman looks at baby clothes while sitting in an armchair.
Go over the numbers calmly, as a family, before you decide.

What moves the result?

Six things that change the number more than anything else.

  • Your credit

    It sets the rate you are offered and which programs you can enter. It can be built from zero.

  • Debts

    Car, cards and student loans take room away from housing.

  • Time

    Credit is built with months of on-time payments. Be wary of anyone who offers to fix it overnight.

  • Your documents

    ID, income and savings. Having them ready shortens the whole process.

  • Income

    Lenders compare the payment with your pre-tax income; programs, with the household's.

  • Fees and charges

    Applications, services, HOA. Always ask for the breakdown in writing.

The official numbers behind the tool

Official data the tool uses, so you can compare.

HUD-approved housing counselors by state

Source: HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026)

The average rate, week by week

  • September 17, 2026 6.95%6.26%
  • September 24, 2026 7.03%6.42%
  • October 1, 2026 7.28%6.60%
  • October 8, 2026 7.40%6.73%
  • October 15, 2026 7.40%6.71%
  • October 22, 2026 7.32%6.68%
  • October 29, 2026 7.24%6.60%
  • November 5, 2026 7.18%6.57%

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (As of November 5, 2026)

— means the source publishes no value.

Want your county's numbers?

Type your county or ZIP code: the tool loads its numbers and keeps them in your browser for the other tools.

Frequently asked questions

How long until I have a score?

It depends on the model and on when your accounts start being reported; no official source gives a fixed time. What does depend on you is paying on time from the first month.

Does checking my report lower my score?

No. Checking your own report is a soft inquiry and has no effect. Hard inquiries are the ones a lender makes when you apply for credit.

Can I build credit with an ITIN?

Yes, if the bank or credit union accepts the ITIN and reports to all three bureaus. Ask before applying.

What about credit repair companies?

Disputing errors is free by law; no one can remove accurate negative information. If they charge before doing anything, that is a scam warning sign.

How we calculate and sources
  1. Each step comes from what the CFPB, the NCUA and the federal credit reporting law publish, the same verified sources as the "Credit from zero" guide.
  2. Your answers pick the steps: with no history, the starter products; with late payments, catching up and a counselor; with an ITIN, the question to ask the bank; if you rent, rent reporting; if you will buy, the debt-to-income ratio and no new accounts.
  3. The steps come in three stages: this week, this month and from here on. Every figure in the plan (the 30-day dispute deadline, the deposit example, the 30% of the limit some experts suggest) comes from the source the step cites.

Program rules

  • CFPB: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: Does requesting my credit report hurt my credit score? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • Congreso de EE. UU. (texto en Cornell LII): Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. §1681i, Procedure in case of disputed accuracy · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: Find a Housing Counselor · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • NCUA: NCUA Legal Opinion 03-0964: Individual Taxpayer Identification and Matricula Consular Numbers for Credit Reporting Purposes · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: How to rebuild your credit · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: Does late rent affect my credit score? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: What is a credit inquiry? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: What is a debt-to-income ratio? · Verified on October 17, 2026
  • CFPB: How can I tell a credit repair scam from a reputable credit counselor? · Verified on October 17, 2026

What comes next?

Go on to the tool that answers your next question, or read a guide at your own pace.

Want someone to go over it with you? A HUD-approved counselor does it for free or at low cost. Find a counselor

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