The Reason Your Credit Score is Tanking (And How To Fix It)

Credit card debt doesn't have to control you. 

Here are 3 things you can do this week to take your power back.

Feeling stuck with credit card debt? You're not alone.

Most of my clients come to me feeling like they're drowning—making payments, trying their best, but their credit score is still in the gutter. So let's get real about what's actually holding your credit back—and how to finally turn things around.

These 3 shifts can make a big difference, even if it takes time to see the full results.

1. Your Credit Utilization Is Too High
This one is huge.
 

Credit utilization = how much credit you've spent vs. how much is available to you.
If you're using more than 30% of your available credit, your score takes a hit.

➡ Maxed out cards? That's 100% utilization—and a serious red flag to lenders.

And no, paying it down isn't easy.
 

If you've been living on credit just to stay afloat, it's going to take time to undo that. But here's the good news: this is one of the fastest ways to start seeing your score go up (because it makes up 30% of your score!).

Quick win: Pick your lowest balance card and start there. Get it under 30% and you'll likely see movement in your score. Progress builds momentum.

2. Don't Close Your Credit Cards
It might seem like the responsible move—but closing a credit card (especially one you've had for a long time) can actually hurt your credit.

Why? Because 15% of your credit score is based on the length of your credit history. The longer your credit lines are open, the better it looks. Closing them shortens that history and shrinks your available credit—which can hurt both your utilization rate and score.

Quick win: If you've paid off a card and no longer want to use it, great! Just cut it up, freeze it, or hide it—but keep the account open. That history is helping you more than you realize.

3. You're Only Making the Minimum Payment
Minimum payments = maximum stress.
If you're just covering the minimum each month, it can feel like you're doing your part—but the reality is, most of that payment goes straight to interest.

With credit card rates often 20% or higher, it becomes nearly impossible to make real progress.

Quick win: Any extra amount helps. Start with just $25 or $50 more than the minimum. That might not sound like much, but it adds up—and more importantly, it puts you back in control.

Let's turn this around.
If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels with credit card debt, we can create a custom plan to clean it up and rebuild your credit—step by step.

That's exactly what we do inside my 8-week transformation. You don't have to figure this out alone.

Book a free discovery call if you want to chat about how we can tackle your debt and rebuild your credit—together.

You've got this.

Disclaimer: I am an educator, not your personal financial advisor. Please make sure to do your own research before moving forward with any actions discussed in this blog post. 

Know that all investments involve some form of risk and there is no guarantee that you will be successful in making, saving, or investing money; nor is there any guarantee that you won't experience any loss when investing. Always remember to make smart decisions and do your own research!