Before lending you money, creditors want to determine how much of a risk you are—in other words, how likely you are to repay the money they loan you. Credit scores help them do that, and the higher your score, the less risk they feel you'll be. Most increases to your credit scores take place over time and require an ongoing effort from you. The only true credit score quick-fixes are to pay down debt and to successfully dispute negative information on a credit report.