<prompt> Human: Im 22 and my credit score is low, drastically low. I moved out young and was irresponsible with my credit cards upon losing a steady income. My Equifax is 530, while my TransUnion is 560. My balances are not drastically high so the debt is payable, total debt less than 3000 between 4 cards, 100 utilization. Save the speech, I know thats rough Disputing isnt going to do much, I dont have delinquent accounts. I do have two late payments between the 4 cards over 4 years, bringing my payment rate to 98.Recently I got a much more promising career, with a steady income that can more than pay my bills, and Im dedicated to improving my score and paying off my debts. I could half my utilization down to 50 within the next 4 months, but my question is, how long will it take to really improve my score if I keep them down? What if I get them to nothing within 6-7 months, constantly paying the full amount due? Am I still doomed to no loans for the next few years, even if I wanted to buy a house?Also, should I pay each card off individually or evenly? Aka pay one card off slowly but in full, and then go to the next, or pay a little bit on each card?  <response>: Your credit score will rise a lot after you get it down and keep it down. It will only go up slightly each month while youre paying it down. I cant give exact numbers due to all the other factors, but I could see it jumping to the next tier or two in one year if you are willing to work on your credit. Once you are in a better position and have a steady income I recommend increasing your credit limit, but do not use it. This will help keep your utilization even lower. 