How can I increase my TU score?

[smile90000]

My Experian and Equifax scores are hovering between 785 and 800, but my Transunion score is only 710.  The main reason TU is lower is 3 of my student loans are not reporting, so it looks like I only have a few accounts. I haven't been able to get them to report, so I'm looking for another strategy. In January I opened a Citibank card and my TU score went from 679 to 703 and now it is at 710.

I only have two credit cards, one that is almost 20 years old and now the citi one. Should I open up a new credit card to increase my score? Should I get a secured credit card from my credit union?  I'm almost due for CLI from Citi. Would that help? Any advice would be so appreciated.

[Revelate]

On TU you are a thin file.

How soon are you expecting to need a score?  For you there's some tradeoffs (thickening file vs. substantial drop in AAOA).  If it were me and I were going for the mid and long term (say anything beyond 2ish years), I'd open one more card and a small secured installment loan (from your CU if they offer a share secured loan, most do)... but if there was a short-term maximization requirement, is hard to say.

[smile90000]

I'm looking mid to long term. Probably need the score in about a year to two years.

You mentioned "small secured installment loan" from my CU. Is this something different than a secured credit card?

Thanks!

[Revelate]

---

@smile90000 wrote:

I'm looking mid to long term. Probably need the score in about a year to two years.

You mentioned "small secured installment loan" from my CU. Is this something different than a secured credit card?

Thanks!

---

Is the score for a mortgage or auto or something other?

Yes a secured credit card reports as a revolving tradeline: you have two of those already; from the sounds of it with no student loans on your TU report, you're missing any installment history.  A secured installment loan (CU's typically call this a Share Secured loan - loan secured by a deposit in a savings account though there are a few Share CD loans out there too, go with the savings account one if given the choice) reports as an installment tradeline instead which lands on a different portion of the scorecard.

For me if I needed it for a mortgage in the 1 year timeframe, I'd get the share secured loan and call it good, then pickup other cards after that if desired.  2+ I'd get another card... in the middle, meh.  I'd probably do both personally as it'll probably be a wash, but  I don't personally weight anything less than a mortgage as truly significant but that's an individual opinion.  

Mortgage would take mid score anyway which likely wouldn't be TU in your case so that's not a big deal, and anything else you can hit a particular bureau if needed generally.

[smile90000]

It would be for a morgage. And I did some research and my credit union offers shared secured loans on savings as well as CDs. And per your suggestions I will probably go with the savings one. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this to me. I was just thinking about adding more credit and didn't realize the importance of it being a different type of credit.