Building credit can be a long process where good behavior helps increase your score gradually achieving good credit can take years but there are a few steps you can take to give your score a boost. How credit scores are calculated you likely have dozens if not hundreds of credit scores thats because a credit score is calculated by applying a mathematical algorithm to the information in one of your three credit reports and there is no one uniform algorithm employed by all lenders or other financial companies to compute the scoressome credit scoring models are very common like the . Your credit score is three digit number ranging from 300 to 850 that is the result of an analysis of your credit file lenders use your credit score to judge your potential credit risk and . To improve your credit make an effort to stop charging things you cant afford paying just the minimum and skipping credit card payments improving your credit score means staying well below your credit limit and paying your credit card bills on time preferably in full