Frequently Asked Questions

General Credit-Related Questions

What is a credit score and why is it important?

Your credit score is a 3-digit number between 300 and 850 that shows your credit “worthiness.” Lenders use it to determine your eligibility for loans, credit cards, and other financial products. A higher score typically means better access to credit and lower interest rates. Credit bureaus generally consider anything above 650 a good credit score.

What is a credit report?

A credit report is a track record of both your personal and financial credit information. It includes information from public records, personal identification, and debt accounts. Your report will show your payment history, debt balances, items in default, collections, and who you owe money to.

What impacts a credit score?

There are five main contributors to your credit score—payment history, credit usage, credit age, credit mix, and recent credit. The most important of these factors is your payment history. Learn more about what affects a credit score HERE.

Can I have more than one credit score?

Yes, it’s common to have multiple credit scores. There are various credit scoring models, which means your creditworthiness can be assessed differently depending on the model used by lenders or institutions. Dovly helps improve your overall credit health, which can lead to better scores across all the different models.

How many credit bureaus are there?

There are three main credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What’s the difference between a soft inquiry and a hard inquiry on my credit report?

A soft inquiry, such as a credit check for pre-approval offers, does not impact your credit score. A hard inquiry, often associated with credit applications, can have a temporary negative effect on your score (and will usually remain on your credit report for two years as an inquiry).

How much will my score go up if I pay off all my credit cards?

Paying off credit card debt can significantly improve your credit score, primarily by lowering your credit utilization ratio (the amount of credit used vs. available). Anything above a 30% utilization ratio is considered high and can hurt your score, even if you pay on time. For example, with a $15,000 balance across three cards and a $10,000 limit per card, your ratio is 50%. Paying off one card lowers it to 33%, two cards to 16%, and all three to 0%. Lower utilization is seen positively by lenders and can boost your score. To maximize your score, it’s best to keep your utilization below 30%, ideally closer to 10% or lower (the ideal scenario is to have all credit cards at zero with the exception of one credit card. The card which remains with a balance should have a utilization between 1% to 9%). Read more about it HERE

What’s considered a good credit score?

Vantage Score breaks down credit score ranges into these categories: Excellent – 781-850, Great – 721-780, Good – 661-720, Fair – 601-660, Poor – 300-600. ‍ When you know your credit score and what’s on your credit report, you have important information that can help you know what you need to work on to bring up your score. Read more about it HERE

What brings your credit score up the fastest?

It’s important to remember that the length of time it takes to reach a good credit score varies from person to person. Some individuals may see significant improvements within a few months, while others may take a year or more to achieve their desired score. Working on reducing your credit utilization is usually the fastest way to increase your score, as you have immediate control over the balances owing and your utilization ratio can impact up to 35% of your score, depending on the scoring model. Nevertheless, consistency and responsible financial management are also key to improving your credit, whether you’re trying to get your credit score from 500 to 700 or to increase your credit score from 670 to 700. Regularly monitoring your credit report, making regular monthly payments, reducing credit card balances, and avoiding excessive new debt will set you on the right path to reach a 700 credit score and maintain a healthy credit profile. Once you get there, you’re on your way to a 800 credit score.

How can a bad credit score cost you money?
  • A bad credit score can be expensive. It often results in higher interest rates on loans and credit cards, costing you thousands over time. You may also face higher insurance premiums and be required to pay security deposits for utilities or rentals. Poor credit can even lead to loan rejections or limited access to better financial products. In short, bad credit means more interest expense, fees, and missed opportunities.

Dovly

What is Dovly AI?

Dovly AI is a comprehensive AI credit solutions engine that monitors, (re)builds, and protects your credit. It offers a range of tools and services to assist you in achieving better financial health.

How does Dovly AI help me improve my credit score?

Dovly AI is an all-in-one credit engine designed to fix, build, and protect your credit score. We start by analyzing your credit report, giving you a personalized action plan and products to boost and protect your score. But we don’t stop there—Dovly AI also helps you build and fix your credit by offering personalized insights and actions that can boost your score over time. Plus, with ongoing monitoring and credit protection, we help safeguard your score from potential identity theft or new errors. Our fully automated system works 24/7, so you can improve your credit without lifting a finger.

Can Dovly AI help me regardless of what my credit score is?

Yes, Dovly AI is designed to help individuals at any stage of their credit journey, whether you have a high credit score and want to maintain it or if your credit score needs improvement. Our AI engine, tools, and resources are valuable for anyone looking to better understand, monitor, and manage their credit, regardless of their current credit score. We provide guidance and personalized action plans to help you work toward your credit goals, whatever they may be.

What makes Dovly AI different from other credit monitoring services?

Dovly distinguishes itself by its holistic approach to credit management. We don’t just diagnose you with a credit score or problem; we’re committed to addressing and resolving your credit issues. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to bump your existing credit, our AI tools make it easy to boost and protect your credit score, so you can focus on what really matters. No more juggling multiple solutions – Dovly is your all-in-one solution for credit management.

Is Dovly AI really free?

Yes, Dovly Free is the first free credit care solution for individuals looking to get on a path to better credit. Dovly’s Free plan provides a monthly TransUnion credit report and score, credit building offers providing you with easy ways to build and improve your credit scores, personalized tips and guides tailored to your financial situation to help you build a strong credit profile, as well as manual dispute selection with TransUnion only. No credit card required. We also offer a Premium subscription with additional benefits such as our Smart AI engine proven to optimize score improvement, enhanced daily credit monitoring, unlimited AI-powered disputes with all 3 bureaus, weekly TransUnion credit report and score, and many more features for those looking for more extensive credit care.

How does Dovly AI’s credit engine work?

It’s super simple! We handle all the hard stuff, so you can focus on your financial glow-up. Sign up in less than 2 minutes with no hard credit pull, and let our AI analyze your credit report. You’ll get a personalized action plan and products tailored to boost and protect your credit score. We’ll keep you updated with score changes, helpful tips, and recommendations that are easy to follow—just download our app and stay connected. We’ve got your back while your credit score improves!

How do I get started with Dovly AI?

It’s easy! Simply choose the plan you want HERE and start your sign up process, which shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes and does NOT affect your credit. In order to sign up, you need to be at least 18 years old and a US resident with a valid Social Security number. Our verification process also requires answering some personal information questions to confirm your identity. Some applicants might also need to submit documentation such as a state-issued ID/Drivers License. 

Can I trust Dovly AI?

Yes, you can trust Dovly AI. Not only do we work with national banks, reputable businesses, and personal finance companies, we also have executive leaders who are accomplished and respected by industry peers. But more than anything our customers can attest to our value and service. Our Database is also encrypted and all personal information is stored on a segregated network to provide an additional layer of security.

Does Dovly AI have an app?

Yes! If you want to see better results and get alerts whenever anything important changes on your credit download our app today.

How many points can I expect my score to go up?

Within six months, Dovly AI Free members see an average score improvement of 34 points, while Premium members see a 82-point score improvement on average*. Our data shows that members who are more engaged and log into Dovly AI regularly see significantly better results.

*Average increase experienced by a sample of 86,156 Dovly Free members that have been enrolled more than 6 months, as of November 2024. Average increase experienced by a sample of 30,746 Dovly Premium members that have been enrolled more than 6 months, as of November 2024.

Is Dovly AI available in all states?

Yes! We serve members in all 50 United States plus the District of Columbia. We also serve all 5 major U.S. Territories.

How long does it typically take to see improvements in my credit score with Dovly?

The timeline for credit improvement varies depending on your individual credit history and negative items on your report. Credit is a marathon, not a sprint. Most Dovly AI members see double-digit score increases within four months or less, but every situation is different.

Can I cancel my Dovly AI subscription at any time?

Yes, but why would you want to? You can cancel your subscription at any time with a click of a button. No cancellation fees or penalties.

Does Dovly AI provide educational resources on credit and personal finance?

Yes, Dovly AI offers a range of educational resources, including articles, guides, and tips on credit management and personal finance. We believe that informed consumers make better financial decisions, and we are here to help you access valuable information. Premium members can also take advantage of our AI chatbot that will provide personalized guidance based on your credit history, report, and financial goals.

Does Dovly AI offer credit monitoring services?

For members on the Premium subscription, Dovly AI provides real-time credit monitoring, alerting you to any changes in your credit report, as well as ID protection. This monitoring helps you stay informed about your credit status and detect potential issues early.

Is Dovly available for businesses or only for individuals?

Currently, Dovly AI is designed to assist individual consumers in managing and improving their personal credit. We do not offer services tailored for business credit monitoring or assistance.

Is Dovly AI safe and secure?

Dovly AI is 100% committed to your data privacy and security. We always use bank-level encryption in all data transmissions. We use your data for identity verification with the credit bureaus, fraud prevention, and to comply with federal laws. We will never share or sell your data to third parties without consent. Check out our Privacy Policy for more details. But more than anything our members can attest to our value and service.

Who is eligible for Dovly Uplift?

Dovly Uplift is available at no cost to U.S.-issued Visa consumer credit, Visa consumer debit, and select Visa prepaid cardholders. Eligible prepaid cards include: General Purpose Reloadable, Government Disbursement Reloadable, Payroll Reloadable, and Commercial Business Reloadable. Eligible Visa Cardholders will also have access to market-leading discounts if they are interested in upgrading to a more robust Dovly membership plan that includes premium features such as three-bureau dispute service, Real-time TransUnion report and score, identity theft insurance, and more. While Dovly’s platform is designed to remove inaccuracies from your credit report, every case is different, and not everyone will achieve the same results. More about Dovly Uplift HERE