Adding an AU can help, but most people do it recklessly. Wrong card, wrong age, wrong utilization. You need: • A card 3+ years old • Under 10% utilization • Never late This adds age, positive history, and lowers your utilization. Quality AU > random AU.

Most people use secured cards wrong. They max them out and expect results. Keep your spending at 5–10% of the limit and pay weekly. After 6–9 months of perfect activity, upgrade to unsecured. Your secured card is a training tool — treat it like one.

If you need a quick lift, there are only three real options. 1. Drop utilization under 10%. 2. Add a positive tradeline. 3. Remove a recent inaccurate late payment. These three adjustments turn 30 days into momentum.

You can rebuild even with heavy negative history. Start with: • One secured card • One store card or self-builder loan • Keep utilization under 10% • Pay everything on auto-pay Your score can grow even while disputes are in progress. Rebuilding is math. Not emotion.

Negative items don’t stay on your report forever. Late payments: 7 years Collections: 7 years Charge-offs: 7 years Bankruptcy: 7–10 years Inquiries: 2 years But if anything is inaccurate, it can be removed early. Time isn’t the only solution. Knowing how to get them removed is.