How to Add Positive Accounts to Your Credit Report

Most people focus on removing negative items from their credit reports to improve their credit scores. However, while clearing up damaging items effectively improves your credit scores, you can also build credit by adding positive items.

Credit bureaus can inaccurately report negative information. However, positive information may also be left off or misreported on your credit reports. In some instances, it may be possible to add this information to your credit reports and give your credit scores a natural boost.

We’ll show you step-by-step how to build credit by successfully adding positive credit accounts to your credit reports. With a bit of effort and diligence, you could potentially build your credit using information that should already be there.

Types of Positive Information

There are many ways to add positive information to your credit report. Some affect your credit score directly, while others contribute to a stronger credit application during the manual review process. When you’re serious about building your credit score, it’s important to check for both types of information.

As you review your credit report, be sure to look for both accuracy and completeness throughout its entirety. Incomplete credit history can be just as damaging as bad credit history, so really give these documents a thorough review.

What exactly should you be looking for when checking to ensure your credit report has complete, positive information? Let’s find out.

Personal Information

Start with the personal information section. These entries don’t necessarily contribute to a higher credit score; however, they can indicate that you are in a stable situation.

They can show that you are ready to handle a loan when a lender manually reviews your credit report. This is just as an important part of the credit application process as your credit score.

Date of Birth and Social Security Number

Make sure your date of birth and Social Security number are listed. These two basic items help creditors verify your identity, and they may not approve your request for credit if they can’t confirm this basic information. Your current and previous addresses should also be listed, unless you own property and are at risk of being sued.

In that situation, you run the risk of having collections target your property to repay past debts. But if you’re free and clear of any delinquent accounts or threat of litigation, your updated address indicates stability and continuity. These are important attributes when applying for credit.

Phone Number

The same holds true for your phone number. Verifying your phone number is sometimes part of the loan application process. However, if you have debt collectors hounding you and prefer to deal with them on your own terms and timeline, remember that they can also access this information.

Employment History

Next, look at your employment history. This information isn’t meant to be a full listing of your entire professional life, but it can help lenders tell whether you’ve been gainfully employed for the majority of the time.

Usually, information is added by a lender after you’ve submitted your loan application. But you can report this information on your own before applying, especially if you want to demonstrate a strong work history. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve been at your current job for less than two years.

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Account History

Next, you’ll want to check each of your account histories for both open and closed lines of credit. This is where you can really start to improve your credit score because on-time payments directly contribute to a strong credit history.

If you’ve had many loans and credit cards, this will be a big section on each of your three credit reports. However, you need to check for accuracy and completeness on every single line.

Account Balances

Start by checking to make sure all of your account balances are accurate. Then, review each monthly payment to ensure it’s been reported accurately.

Ideally, you’ll have paid at least the minimum payment due on time and in full for every single account. This process may take a while to complete, but it’s worth it if you find something reported incorrectly.

Open Date

Also, verify the date each account was opened. This is an important step. Because, in addition to positive payment history, your credit score also factors in the length of your credit history. The longer they’ve been opened, the better for your credit score.

Finally, make sure any positive joint account you share with someone else is included on your credit report. If it’s not, that could be considered incomplete information, especially if it’s on the joint account holder’s report from the same credit bureau.

Who to Contact to Add Positive Information to Your Credit Report

There are two ways you can add positive credit history to your credit report: either by contacting your creditor or by contacting the credit bureaus.

Sometimes you can get away with just contacting one, and other times you’ll need to contact both. Here’s exactly how to handle each scenario you might encounter when trying to add positive information to your report.

When to Contact the Creditor

One of the most straightforward instances to contact your creditor directly is if you’re missing a joint account on your credit report. This is especially true if the account is listed for the other joint account holder already.

For credit accounts that are in your name, but aren’t listed on your credit report, you should verify that they report to the three credit bureaus with your creditor.

There’s nothing in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that requires creditors to provide payment history to the three major credit bureaus. So, not every creditor chooses to report to them. And without their voluntary reporting, the credit bureau won’t be able to help you. However, if you can confirm that the creditor typically reports and just hasn’t reported your account, you can take steps to have the situation resolved.

For creditors that do not choose to report your credit to the agencies, you can still help your chances of obtaining credit if you can get a certified copy of your payment history. If possible, request a copy of the payment history on company letterhead and signed by a manager or someone else in charge.

It won’t help your credit score, but it could help increase your chances of getting a new loan or credit card. Keep this documentation on hand to bolster your credit report. You may be able to convince some lenders of your creditworthiness.

When to Contact the Credit Bureaus

After you’ve contacted your creditor, you’ll want to confirm that each of the three major credit reporting agencies has added the positive credit accounts to your credit report. Wait a couple of weeks, and then check your report. If you still see errors, send a letter to the credit bureau asking them to correct the information.

Once you send a request to each of the three major credit bureaus, they are required to open an investigation. They have 30 days to resolve the matter. This process is beneficial if one of your creditors is hard to reach or unresponsive.

How to Make Sure Positive Information Is Added to Your Credit Report

When you’re working on adding or correcting information on your credit report, it’s helpful to keep track of every step. Whether you’re communicating by phone, mail, or email, make sure to save a record of all conversations.

If you’re asked to send a request by mail, use certified mail to confirm it’s received. This way, creditors or credit bureaus can’t claim they didn’t get it.

If you’re talking to someone on the phone, write down their full name and ID number, if they have one, so you have a reference for any follow-ups.

How to Report Your Rental Payments to Boost Credit

Rent payments aren’t automatically included on your credit report, but you can use rent reporting services to make sure they count. Services like RentTrack, RentReporters, and LevelCredit will report your rent payments to one or more of the credit bureaus for a small fee. These services usually work by linking to your bank account or having your landlord verify the payments, which are then sent to the credit bureaus.

Before signing up, check which bureaus the service reports to, as some may only report to one or two of the three major ones—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. For broader coverage, it’s best to choose one that reports to all three.

You can also ask your landlord if they work with property management companies that offer rent reporting. If they don’t, it may be worth suggesting, as it could benefit both you and future tenants.

Keep in mind that while rent reporting services can help boost your credit, they usually charge a fee. Make sure the benefits of adding your rent payments to your credit report outweigh the cost.

Can you self-report to the credit bureaus?

While it might seem like you should be able to add your own positive credit history directly to the credit bureaus, it’s not that simple. Creditors aren’t required to report information to all three bureaus, and many smaller lenders choose not to report at all. This can leave gaps in your credit history, which may explain why your credit score can vary between bureaus.

Self-reporting isn’t an option, but you can ask your creditors to report your accounts if they don’t already. If they agree, this can help fill in any missing positive information. Keep in mind, though, not every creditor will be willing to do so.

Even if you can’t add missing accounts, verifying that all listed accounts are accurate and complete can still help. By making sure your positive accounts are correctly reported, you’ll have a better chance of improving your overall credit profile and offsetting any negative items.

Conclusion

Building credit isn’t just about removing negative marks—it’s also about making sure positive information is included in your credit report. Whether it’s rent payments or accurate account histories, adding these details can strengthen your credit score over time. While self-reporting to the credit bureaus isn’t possible, working with your creditors and reviewing your credit report regularly can make a big difference in how your credit is viewed by lenders.

By staying proactive and ensuring that all your positive accounts are reflected accurately, you can steadily improve your credit standing and open up more opportunities for future financial needs.