Helping you to better understand credit scores.
When you apply for a credit card or loan, lenders will look at certain credit-related information about you to decide if they can lend to you responsibly.
One of them is called a credit score.
If you also have a good payment history on all your accounts, have low outstanding debts, and are able to afford your repayments, a good credit score means you’re more likely to be seen as a lower credit risk. And usually, the higher your credit score, the better.
A good credit score will mean you will have a greater chance of being offered credit, possibly at lower interest rates, meaning it will cost you less to borrow and you’re more likely to be offered higher credit limits.
Credit reference agencies are independent businesses that help lenders and other organisations to make informed, responsible decisions. They hold information about most adults in the UK including their identity, address and personal finance history.
These agencies will use information from public records, such as the electoral register, and court records.
They will also have information from other lenders, showing if you made repayments on time.
Some lenders offer tools to check your credit score for free, with no impact on your credit file. Ours is called ‘Your Credit Score’. It lets you see your credit information from TransUnion – one of the three main credit reference agencies in the UK. You can also see the factors that impact how your credit score is calculated.
Now, let’s look at some ways you can help improve your credit score:
Make sure you’re registered to vote on the electoral register.
- Be sure to pay your bills on time.
- Pay off your debts as soon as you can.
- Don’t regularly spend up to your credit card limit.
- And avoid applying for lots of loans or credit cards at the same time.
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