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Get Inside Your Credit Rating

What do you know about your credit rating? You may never even think about it until you get turned down for credit one day. However, the way you run your life may affect the way your credit profile looks years later.

Who Stores Credit Information?

There are two main agencies that store information about your credit history. They are Experian in Nottingham and Equifax in Glasgow. The credit file is opened the day you open a bank account. The longer you have had a bank account, the more trustworthy you seem, so it's best to keep one primary account for the sake of the credit report. That doesn't prevent you from having a second account that might offer other incentives, such as a better overdraft limit or interest rates.

Your credit score goes up depending on what services you have from the bank. So, if you have a cheque account, a savings account, a credit card and other products, this means the bank trusts you and is a big plus for your credit status.

On A Roll

Whether you decide to vote or not, it is a good idea to appear on the electoral roll. This makes it easy to track and confirm your address details. Lenders will be concerned about whether you own or rent your home, or whether you are living with parents. Owning your own home is a sign of responsibility, and the fact that you have been approved for a mortgage looks good too. It's best to have a telephone at home. If it is working, it means that you are up to date with your bill.

Stability And Responsibility

Responsibility is also the key factor when it comes to marriage and children. Being married with children means, in theory, that you are responsible. It also means that you are less likely to run off, leaving bad debt behind you. And the older you get, the more responsible you look in lenders' eyes, so there are some advantages to ageing.

Having a job is an indication that you will be able to repay any credit that you get. Again, staying in the same job for a while indicates responsibility. Lenders like to see some history of earning an income before they approve a loan.

Managing Credit

Finally, having credit really helps your credit rating, as long as you have managed it well. Having credit agreements is good, as far as lenders are concerned. Making the necessary repayments on time is even better. Missing payments or defaults will lower your credit score, so they are best avoided.

If you do end up with a debt problem, arrears or County Court Judgements (CCJs), you may still be able to get credit. There are options such as payday loans for short term credit and secured loans for long term credit. There are even credit cards that cater for people with a poor credit rating. However, the interest rates will not be as good as those offered to people with a good credit report.

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