Guide
How to build credit while your disputes are pending.
The bureaus generally have about 30 days to investigate. Here's how to add positive history in the meantime — and what to avoid.
Direct answer
Two things drive most credit scores: paying on time and keeping balances low relative to your limits. While a dispute is open you can work on both with a secured card, a credit-builder loan, or rent reporting — none of which depends on, or interferes with, the dispute itself. No product guarantees a score increase.
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Why this works alongside a dispute
A dispute asks the bureau and the reporting company to verify or correct a specific item. It runs on its own clock, generally about 30 days. Payment history and the amount of credit you're using are the two biggest factors in common scoring models, so steady positive activity is useful whichever way a dispute turns out.
Four ways to add positive history
Secured credit card
You put down a refundable deposit that usually becomes your credit limit, then use the card lightly and pay it on time. Look for one that reports to all three bureaus, has no or low annual fee, and returns your deposit when you close the account in good standing.
Credit-builder loan
The lender holds the loan amount in an account while you make fixed monthly payments, then releases it at the end. The point is the reported payment history. Check the fees and which bureaus receive the payments.
Rent reporting
Some services report on-time rent payments to one or more bureaus. Not every scoring model counts rent, and coverage differs by service, so confirm what it reports and to whom before paying a fee.
Authorized user
A trusted person with a long, well-managed card can add you as an authorized user. It only helps if the issuer reports authorized-user accounts, and their missed payments or high balances can hurt you too.
Habits that matter more than any product
- Pay every bill on time. Set up autopay for at least the minimum.
- Keep card balances low relative to your limits — under 30% is a common guideline, and lower is better.
- Don't open many accounts at once. Each application can add a hard inquiry.
- Keep older accounts open when you can; the age of your accounts is a factor.
- Check all three reports for new errors, and dispute anything inaccurate.
What to avoid
- Anyone who promises a specific score increase or that negative items will be removed. Accurate information generally can't be removed just because it's disputed.
- Companies that charge up front before doing any work. Federal law restricts this for credit repair organizations.
- Advice to create a “new credit identity.” That can be illegal.
- Products with high fees that report to no bureau at all. Always ask who they report to.
Keep your disputes moving
Building positive history works best alongside cleaning up inaccurate items. Create a free account to generate your dispute letters for every bureau at once, mail them yourself for free, or have us mail them for you.
This guide is general, educational information, not legal or financial advice. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Yes. A dispute is a separate process between you, the bureaus, and the company that reported the item. Opening or managing other accounts responsibly doesn't pause or change it.
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