A good credit score is super important because it can affect your ability to borrow money, extend your overdraft, or access products such as credit cards or loans. You can check your score for free and identify the things you can do to improve it.
- Your credit rating plays a major role in your ability to get a mortgage, make major purchases, or rent a flat.
- If you have a poor credit rating, lenders may lend you money at a higher rate than that paid by someone with a higher credit rating.
- Your credit rating helps financial companies determine the probability that you could and would pay back the money that you have borrowed.
Check your credit report for free
Your credit report contains information that makes up your credit score. This information can have a positive or negative effect on your score. You can check your credit report for free using the services listed below.
It’s worth using each of these, as the information they hold on you can be different as they are each based on data from different credit agencies.
Your credit report will give you advice about areas for improvement.
What Makes Up Your Credit Score?
- On-time payment history or missed payments.
- Credit utilization ratio – What percentage of your credit card limit is currently being used.
- Length of credit history.
- Credit mix—types of credit available – Having more than three long-term loans can affect your score.
- Frequency of applications for new credit. Don’t keep applying if you get declined. This can also affect your credit score.
Sign-up for a Free Account Above and Check For Mistakes!
When you look at your report, check for any errors or mistakes. Even something like a typo in your address or a miss-spelling of your name can have an impact on your credit rating.
Make sure your address is up to date if you have moved
Having your current address on your credit report is important. When you move home, no matter if you are renting or buying, make sure you register to vote at your new address as soon as you can. The link to register your correct address is below.
Councils send voter data to credit reference agencies on a regular basis, so this can improve your score. Normally being at one address for longer than 3 years can also help your credit score.
Helpful Tip: Don’t move home too regularly it can affect your credit rating.
Your address links your identity and financial status, helping to prevent fraud. Having the same address for a long period of time suggests your circumstances are reasonably secure and consistent.
Pay On Time
Paying bills on time is the best way to prove to lenders you’re able to manage your finances efficiently and effectively.
If you’ve missed a payment or you know that you will miss a payment, you should contact your provider as soon as possible. Often, if you are in communication with a provider they will not flag defaults on your account.
Helpful Tip: Lenders are naturally more likely to offer credit to people who have less existing debt and liability, so try to minimise debit balances or credit cards or loans.
Ending financial association with partners
If you have a joint bank account or other joint borrowings with a partner, the other person’s credit rating can affect your own.
Breaking these financial links with a partner who has a poor score can be difficult and problematic, but could boost your credit score quickly.
Stop re-applying!
If you’ve been turned down for credit, then avoid applying for further credit or borrowing. Multiple applications can negatively affect your credit rating.
It doesn’t matter if you are accepted for borrowing or declined, ‘hard’ credit searches may affect your credit score.
Some lenders offer ‘soft’ credit checks or quotations on selected products and services, which could help you to understand your eligibility, without impacting your credit score in the short term.
Improving your credit score with additional information
Open Banking In The UK
The biggest banks in the UK have to allow you to share information about your current account transactions, including all your outgoings and income, with other organizations, including other lenders.
This information can help lenders make more accurate decisions about what you can afford to borrow, and this might help you to borrow money at a more affordable price for you. Credit reference agencies are now offering customers the opportunity to share this information through their credit records, such as ClearScore and Experian.
Important to remember: Your bank can only share this information with your explicit consent.
Experian Boost
Experian uses Open Banking in the UK to include data such as loans, credit cards, mortgages, mobile contracts, and bank accounts.
Subject to your consent. The amount of information that you’re able to share will depend on which of your providers are participating in the program. But this number is increasing.
There are other credit reference agencies joining the market, which also take Open Banking into account.
How to report and fix any errors
If you do spot mistakes, report them to the credit reference agency and try to speak to the leader that has the error.
They have a month to remove the information or tell you why they disagree with you.
It’s also best to speak with the credit provider you believe is responsible for the incorrect entry that is affecting your credit rating.
Checking Your Credit Score With Trusted Companies
Experian
Probably the largest in the market, they’re one of the go-to checkers for many loan, credit card, and mortgage providers.
They offer 2 main packages to members:
Credit Expert – FREE 30-Day Trial
Enjoy a Free 30 Day Trial at Experian’s most comprehensive service. With features including Credit Boost, where you can boost your score, eligibility checker, and real-time access.
The Free Trial is only available once per member and can be canceled at any time within the 30 Day Trial.
Click Here To Start Your Free Trial Now
Credit Score – Basic Free Package
Great little free service if you want to check up on your score less regularly. It’s free forever as stated but will only update your score monthly and doesn’t include the extra features available to a full account.
ScoresMatter
Their simple platform makes it easier than ever to check your score and this is often the checking platform that lenders will use. This will help you can make more accurate predictions as to whether you will be accepted or not.
Best of all you can enjoy a FREE 10-day Trial Right Here.
ClearScore
Your credit score and report. For free, forever. Including free identity protection.
ClearScore also finds credit cards and loans for you based on your current credit rating. They partner with over 90 trusted lenders to bring you great deals.