People want to learn how to fix bad credit fast for many reasons. Maybe they have found their dream home, and are a few points shy of the 620 score required to qualify for an FHA loan. Or, maybe your car is on its last leg, and you know you are going to need a new ride soon.

Whatever your motivation, you should understand that there is no quick fix for credit restoration. That being said, there are many things that you can do to improve credit fairly quickly. How much will depend on your individual credit file, and what factors are dragging your score down the most.

Reduce Your Debt Load

Your credit utilization accounts for 30% of your credit score. It is the second most important factor in determining your credit score, after your payment history. One of the quickest ways to raise your FICO score is to pay off your revolving debt. This can yield especially dramatic results if you currently have credit cards that are at or near their limit. I have seen credit scores shift by 60 points or more just by paying down credit card debt.

Become an Authorized User

If you don’t have sufficient positive credit, your credit score will suffer. The good news is that if you have a parent or spouse with good credit, they can help you. The ideal situation would be if they have a credit card account that is three years old or more that has a perfect payment history. You want to choose an account that also has a low balance. When they add you as an authorized user, you get the benefit of the entire history they have had with this account. This means if your mom opened a credit card in 1975 and still has this account, your credit file now benefits from this depth. And – if mom is nervous about adding you as an authorized user, she doesn’t have to give you a card or even any information on the account. Your score will benefit regardless.