'credit-improving' originates from the combination of 'credit' and 'improving', where 'credit' refers to the trustworthiness of a borrower and 'improving' means making better.

'credit' comes from the Latin word 'creditum', meaning 'a loan or thing entrusted', and 'improving' comes from the Old French 'improver', meaning 'to make better'.

Initially, 'credit' referred to trust in financial transactions, and 'improving' meant making better. Together, they now refer to enhancing one's financial trustworthiness.