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If you pay your bills like this, your credit score will increase—every single month.

I learned this firsthand when I was working at Serra Chevrolet as a sales professional. At the time, I was driving a rental car—a 2019 Kia K5 base model—that cost me over $1,000 a month. That’s not a typo. I was paying over a thousand dollars every month just to drive a car that wasn’t mine, all because I had a repossession on my credit from my time living in Nashville.

I drove that rental for about six months—even after I had moved back in with my mom. My credit score was in the 500s, and I had multiple collections reporting. I was stuck. I knew I needed to rebuild my credit to move forward in life, but after paying people to fix my credit and getting no results, I realized I had to do it myself.

That’s when I decided to finance a car through CarMax. Now, let me be honest—the interest rate was ridiculously high. But I needed something reliable. And more importantly, I needed to rebuild my credit. That’s when my general manager gave me a tip that changed the game for me:

“Don’t just pay your car note once a month. Break it up—weekly or biweekly. That helps you build a payment history and may even position you for refinancing down the line.”

So that’s exactly what I did.

The Simple Shift That Raised My Score

I started making weekly payments on my car note. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that strategy gave my credit report more frequent updates—more “positive activity”—and within months, my credit score started rising steadily.

Eventually, I applied for an apartment. And I was approved—with just a $250 deposit.

That moment brought me to tears.

Because not long before that, I was being denied everywhere I applied in Nashville. One apartment complex really tried to help me. They saw that I was working hard, they knew I made more than enough money to cover rent—and they genuinely wanted to work with me. But the best they could do was require a $2,800 deposit.

I was so sad. The apartment was right down the street from my job at Greenway Kia Hickory Hollow in Antioch. I could’ve walked to work. The location would have been perfect—or so I thought.

But my credit score told a different story, and that opportunity slipped through my fingers.

So when I finally got approved—with just a $250 deposit and a place only 15 minutes from the dealership I was working at in Bartlett—it felt like everything I had prayed for was finally coming together.

How You Can Do It Too

Let’s say your car note is $749 per month, due on the 25th.

Instead of waiting until the 25th and paying it all at once, break it down:

• Weekly payments: $749 ÷ 4 = $187.25 per week

• Biweekly payments: $749 ÷ 2 = $374.50 every two weeks

This strategy gives your credit more consistent payment history, which lenders love to see. Plus, if your interest rate is sky-high like mine was, this habit will set you up to refinance later through a credit union or better lender once your credit improves.

What doesn’t help?
Someone once told a friend to pay the full note and add $20–$40 “extra.” When I asked one of the finance managers at the dealership—someone who works directly with banks every day—he told me:

“That doesn’t move the needle. The banks don’t care about $20–$40 extras. They care about larger lump sums or frequent payments. That’s what improves your financial profile.”

So instead of small add-ons, either break your payments down or, when you can, make bigger payments like $100, $500, or even $1,000.

From Survival to Strategy

This wasn’t just a tactic. It was survival. I needed a way out, and this car note strategy became my stepping stone to stability. It worked for me, and it worked for the customers I helped at the dealership.

And now, it can work for you.

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Written by Kyterria Ivory
Creator of The Credit Repair Ministry. Former Car Sales Pro turned Credit Mentor, helping everyday people fix their credit and level up their life.