5 Best Tradeline Companies

If you’re looking for a fast way to improve your credit, you may have heard of tradeline companies. Finding the proper tradeline company can boost your credit score considerably in the short-term.

However, with so many to choose from, you may not be sure which tradeline companies are the best and most reliable. In addition, you may have heard negative things about tradelines themselves. Are they really as effective in boosting credit as these companies claim?

In this article, we’ll discuss tradelines, when and why to consider them, and what to look for if you choose to buy one. We’ve also done our research on all the major tradeline companies out there and hand-picked our top recommendations.

What Is A Tradeline?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines a tradeline as the information associated with one of your credit accounts. Essentially, you can think of each of your credit accounts as a tradeline. 

For example, you might have a mortgage, an auto loan, and a credit card. On your credit report, these will show up as three separate tradelines.

Each of your tradelines will have additional information about that particular account, including things like the credit limit, date of account opening, and payment history. We cover more about how to read your various tradelines in this post.

The status of your tradelines has a big impact on your overall credit score. If you have multiple “good tradelines” where you have been consistently paying off your debts, you probably have a pretty high credit score.

However, if you have multiple “negative tradelines” with missed payments and high remaining balances, this can drag down your credit score. For those looking to improve their score,  tradeline companies are an option.

Is It Legal To Buy Tradelines?

Yes, it’s legal to buy tradelines. You will not get in any legal trouble using a lawful tradeline company to piggyback off someone else’s credit.

A study from the Federal Reserve not only confirmed this, but also suggested that credit piggybacking can “materially improve credit scores.”

Think about the credit card industry for a minute. Why would they allow a cardholder to add an authorized user on their account in the first place? Simple--to make money. 

In 2018, credit card companies made over $100 Billion dollars in fees. These companies, in fact, like it when a cardholder adds an authorized user to their credit card.

Adding an authorized user increases the chances of overspending, which increases their chances of collecting more fees. Except, tradeline companies do not allow the authorized user to actually use the credit card. This means that the authorized user gets the advantage of "good credit" without any of the risks that come with spending. 

It's true that credit card companies frown on this. That's because this arrangement offers them zero benefits. Buying a tradeline, however, is not illegal. In fact, it is one of the very few legal ways to boost credit quickly.

Anytime you are dealing with sensitive financial information, caution should be taken. This is why we have to stress the importance of finding a legitimate and trustworthy company.

What Should You Look For In A Tradeline Company?

While there are many tradeline companies for you to choose from, the best ones will have the following features and qualities:

• Good track record: Ideally, the tradeline company you work with has been in business for many years. In addition, they’ll have served many customers, with many of them leaving favorable reviews. It’s good to check third-party reviews in addition to the company’s testimonials page.
• Good customer support: It’s always a good sign when a company offers great customer support. When asking about a particular company, try contacting the email or phone number and noting down how quick they are to respond, as well as how knowledgeable the staff is about the company’s tradelines.
• Physical address: Despite most tradeline companies offering their full services online, reputable ones will always list a physical address. You can verify this address with Google or Yelp to be sure that the business is who they claim they are.

Also, you can learn a lot about a tradeline company by the quality of the tradelines that they offer. In particular, you should pay attention to:

• Transparency: The company should be transparent about their prices. You should also be able to see information about tradelines offered without giving away too much of your personal information outright.
• Options: The best companies will offer a variety of different tradelines for you to choose from. They can vary in aspects such as credit limit, length of credit history, and utilization rate.
• Affordability: It makes sense that better tradelines will cost you more. However, as tradelines are meant to be short-term fixes, you should find one that gets the job done and doesn’t cost you too much money. Compare similar tradelines across different companies, and find the one that’s most affordable for you.

The Benefits Of Buying Tradelines

Since tradelines boost your credit score in the short term, here are some of the main benefits of buying them.

Increases Your Chances Of Getting A Loan

Some lenders may have a minimum credit score requirement to apply for loans. If you check your current credit score and find that you don’t meet this requirement, buying a tradeline could be the difference between being rejected and accepted.

Increases Your Chances Of Getting Better Loan Terms

If you’re about to apply for a loan, you may seek a tradeline to boost your score. Even if you think you’ll already qualify for the loan, a higher score may mean better loan terms. Usually, this comes in the form of lower interest rates.

It May Help You Rent An Apartment

When renting an apartment, most landlords will run your credit as a screening process. This can give them an idea of how reliable you are with making monthly payments on time.

If you have a lower credit score, you may be turned down for the apartment you want. Thus, if you’re moving soon and need to rent a new apartment, buying a tradeline could be a good idea.

It May Help You Get Better Insurance Rates

Insurance companies use your “insurance score” to create policy terms for things like homeowner or car insurance. Insurance score is based largely on your credit score.

This means that a lower credit score could mean higher premiums. Buying a tradeline to raise your score could help you negotiate better insurance rates.

What Is The Best Tradeline Company? A Look At 5 Companies

Having looked at what makes a good tradeline company, as well as why you might consider one, here are some of our recommendations.

What Are People Saying About Tradeline Supply Company?

Most of Tradeline Supply Company’s Google reviews cite their professionalism and promptness in responding to customer service requests. One standout review by Joel Adrian Harris reads:

Score increases will vary depending on your current credit and the quality of the tradeline, but results like these are possible.

The high ratings, affordable prices, and full transparency make Tradeline Supply Company our top choice if you’re looking for a trustworthy tradeline company.

What Are People Saying About Improve My Credit Fitness?

Of the Google reviews we found, many customers have seen outstanding results with Improve My Credit Fitness. Some have reported score increases of 100 to 200 points, as Adrian Iusco writes:

Again, depending on many different factors, the exact score increase will vary.

Others have applauded their free consultation service as being very helpful and professional. A few have been able to secure a mortgage or car loan due to the score increase.

Overall, we like Improve My Credit Fitness as a close second option if you’re unable to find a suitable tradeline at Tradeline Supply Company. Their transparency, 60 day guarantee, and quick online ordering process make them one of the best tradeline companies out there.

Things To Pay Attention To When Buying Tradelines

After choosing a reputable company, your next step is to pick out a specific tradeline. Since you’ll likely have many tradelines at your disposal, here are some key things to consider.

Why Are You Buying The Tradeline?

Before going any further, clarify why you want to buy a tradeline in the first place. Are you applying for a loan or trying to get better insurance rates? We covered common reasons for buying a tradeline earlier in this article.

You also want to make sure buying a tradeline is the right solution for your current situation. This can depend on how much credit you’ve already established.

For example, tradelines are typically super effective for those with a “thin file”--that is, you don’t have much credit history yet. It’s possible for a single good tradeline to immediately boost your credit score into the 700s.

However, if you have many credit accounts but a significant amount of them are negative tradelines, it’s unlikely that a tradeline will improve your score by much. In these cases, it’s often better to consider credit repair instead, which we’ll cover later on.

Credit Limit & Account History

The most important qualities of a tradeline are the credit limit and account history. In general, tradelines with higher credit limits and longer credit histories will have the greatest effect on your credit score, but will also cost you more to buy.

Often, you may have to sacrifice one of these for the other. For example, if you need a lower credit utilization, it’s better to find a tradeline with a high credit limit, even if it has a shorter account history than other tradelines. This will have a greater positive impact on your score.

On the other hand, if the average age of your accounts is very short, prioritizing a tradeline with a longer account history could be better.

Quantity vs. Quality

Many people wonder if buying multiple good tradelines is better than one great tradeline. In general, the quality of a tradeline tends to be more important than the number of tradelines you buy.

The high price tag of some high-quality tradelines can cause some people to choose multiple more affordable options. However, it’s likely that cheaper tradelines won’t do as much to boost your score.

Read The Contract Carefully

Before finalizing the deal, read your contract carefully. It may contain important terms such as how long you’ll be an authorized user on the tradeline for. If anything seems off, now is the last chance to opt out of the deal.

After Purchasing, Check Your Credit Report & Credit Score

You must manually verify that your tradeline has been posted to your credit report. If you don’t see it, companies will often ask for your report as proof in order to receive a full refund.

If it has been posted, be sure to act quickly and apply for that loan or rental apartment before you’re taken off as an authorized user.

Alternatives To Buying Tradelines

While tradelines are useful in building up your credit in the short-term, there are some alternatives to consider as well. Depending on your situation, some of these may be better for your overall credit health.

Secured Credit Card

Banks and credit unions usually have secured credit cards which you can apply for. On a secured credit card, your credit limit is equal to the amount you initially deposit with the lender.

For example, the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card is one of the best secured credit cards for building credit. It requires a minimum deposit of $200. However, if you deposit $500, then your credit limit would be $500. Eventually, you’ll get your deposit back after consistently paying off the card.

Compared to tradelines, secured credit cards are a better long-term option for those just starting to build credit. Because credit limits are low, they are the perfect tool for getting in the habit of making monthly payments on time and in full. Tradelines are a better solution for those who need to boost credit quickly and for a short amount of time.

Bad Credit Loan

If you have poor credit, a bad credit loan can be a good building block towards a better score.

No Problem Cash is a reputable online service that can provide you with a quick and personalized loan, even if you have bad credit. Loan amounts are relatively small at around $1,000 to $5,000, making it great for a first loan.

Taking out a bad credit loan is another long-term option designed to build a solid foundation for you to continue improving your credit. As you pay back the loan, your credit history will gradually improve.

Have A Family Member Or Friend Add You As An Authorized User

If you have a family member or friend who has good credit, consider having them add you as an authorized user on their account. This is also a form of credit piggybacking, but with someone you already know and trust.

Besides saving money, the other major benefit is that you aren’t removed from the account after 60 days. Just be sure that the account you’re being added to is well-established, otherwise you might be better off buying a quality tradeline.

Look Into Credit Repair

Finally, the best option might be to hire a credit repair company. If you have poor credit, it’s possible that you have errors on your credit report that need addressing. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one in five Americans have at least one error on their credit reports.

While credit repair and tradelines are both designed to improve your score, one of them may be a better fit for your needs. We’ll talk about this more in the next section.

Buying Tradelines vs. Credit Repair: Which Should You Go For?

As we’ve seen, buying a tradeline is a short-term strategy to temporarily boost your credit score. However, there are four main scenarios where credit repair is generally the better option:

• You’re not looking to apply for new credit any time soon. The point of a tradeline is to get your credit score above a certain level so that you can secure some sort of time-sensitive loan. If you’re not in the market for a loan, you have time to hire a credit repair agency to look at all the various factors that are hurting your credit score.
• You have errors or inaccuracies on your credit report. While reviewing your credit report, if you come across any errors or inaccurate marks, you should probably hire a credit repair agency sooner or later anyway. These can be a permanent dink on your credit score until addressed.
• You have already established a long (positive or negative) credit history. Tradelines work by adding another account to your credit history. In general, this means that the more credit history you already have, the less impact a tradeline will have on your score. In this case, credit repair along with good credit practices may produce better results.
• You want to learn how to build your credit in the long-run. The best credit repair companies go above and beyond in not only disputing errors on your report, but also teaching their clients how to maintain good credit going forward. Tradeline companies generally do not guide their clients through this.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Tradelines are a good way to piggyback off someone else’s credit to boost your own score. By temporarily adding a positive tradeline to your credit history, you may be able to get that loan you thought was out of reach.

In this article, we’ve identified what makes a good tradeline, as well as the characteristics of a good tradeline company. Now that you know what to look out for, we recommend going to Tradeline Supply Company or Improve My Credit Fitness if you’re looking to buy a tradeline.