<prompt> Human: Today I received a check for 15,000. My wife and I have agreed to pay down andor off our credit cards. This will leave us about 4,000 leftover. We also have an increase of 1,500 a month in income which is garaunteed. I have a large list of collections and debt from my around 5 years ago all the way up until last year. These collections range from 100 all the way to 5,000. My credit score is suffering and until this moment weve had enough to pay the bills but there was nothing left to use towards any of the debt. We can continue to live on our income and use this extra money to pay debt each month. Our goal is to purchase a house by July of 2018. What would be the most effective way to increase my credit score? Its 562 averaged between all three credit bureaus. Any and all suggestions would be very much appreciated. I feel very uneducated when it comes to all things personal finance.  <response>: Read Dave Ramseys, Total Money Makeover. 