Nearly a quarter of Americans say their credit scores took a hit this year—the No. 1 way to increase yours, according to an expert
If your credit score has taken a hit this year, there isn't much you can do to erase your history, but there are steps you can take to rebuild your credit.
TL;DR
- Nearly half of Americans believe their financial situation worsened in the current year.
- 24% of U.S. adults reported a hit to their credit scores in 2025.
- Higher prices and interest rates have negatively impacted people's finances.
- Strategies to increase credit scores include paying off balances, making on-time payments, and having low credit utilization.
- Other methods involve becoming an authorized user on someone else's account, signing up for alternative data reporting, and using credit-building products like secured credit cards or credit-builder loans.