A reader asked if his credit score would improve if he paid off some debt. First a useful warning from Experian: There’s no one credit score or magic number – different lenders score differently. But a good place to start is by looking at what exactly is on your credit records. There are three credit reference agencies in Britain and you have to check all three as they may have different … [Read more...]
Credit Ratings
There is a lot talked about credit ratings on the Internet but it can be very confusing and sometimes even wrong!
If you can't make the proper payments to your debts, your credit rating will suffer. But different debt options affect your credit score in different ways, so I've written these articles looking at the details of each situation.
And most importantly, when will your credit rating improve and what can you do to help this.
You never need to pay to check your credit score, or look at the details of your records any more. See The top three free ways to check your credit records for details.
If you would like to see the most read articles, check out Debt Camel's page on Credit Score - problems, queries and answers.
Credit Ladder – can renting boost your credit rating?
UPDATE - Coronavirus If you can't manage to pay your full rent because of Coronavirus problems, I think you should consider cancelling Credit Ladder. In theory you can get your landlord to agree to lower payments and to tell Credit Ladder - if your landlord does this the lower amount will still be visible on your credit record but there is no late/missed payment amount. it seems to me to be … [Read more...]
No calls or letters about a debt for years?
If its been four or five years since you stopped making payments to a debt and you haven't had any phone calls or letters for a long while, you may be hoping your debt has got lost or the debt collector has forgotten about it. This article looks at what is likely to happen as in 2019 debt collectors were taking more people to court for CCJs than they used to. There are fewer cases right at the … [Read more...]
Coronavirus – good news about protecting your credit score
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, the three big UK credit reference agencies, have agreed that having a temporary "payment holiday" with a lender because of Coronavirus problems won't harm your credit score. James Jones from Experian says: “We’re really pleased to have reached an industry-wide agreement on this. Public awareness of credit scores and the role they play continues to grow, so we … [Read more...]
How to improve your credit rating after a DRO
A Debt Relief Order (DRO) only lasts for a year and then your debts in it are wiped out. But it will be shown on your credit record for six years. This article looks at what should happen to your credit record during the year of your DRO and at the end of it. If some of your creditors have go tt this wrong, you need to ask them to correct any problems. And finally it looks at how to start to … [Read more...]
Don’t let credit rating worries make your debts worse
If you have too much debt, you may not want to do anything that will harm your credit score. But do you have any better alternatives? That depends on three factors: what is your credit record like at the moment? If it isn't good, then it isn't worth trying to protect! Check your credit score now, so you have accurate information. can you make the monthly payments to your debts? The … [Read more...]
How to get a paid CCJ marked as Satisfied
A reader asked: In August 2015 a CCJ was registered against me for £211. I paid off the balance, but not within the month. I have bank statements to prove its been paid. On my credit report it shows the status as “active” even though I have paid it. I’ve contacted the debt collector multiple times but they say as it’s an old case it’s no longer on their system and they can’t help me. I don’t … [Read more...]
Can you get a default deleted? When will it drop off if you do nothing?
"This default is destroying my credit score - how do I get rid of it?" This is a very common question! It's sometimes asked when people's finances have improved and they are trying to clean up old problems on their credit history as fast as possible. Or sometimes the default feels unfair in someway I will look at various cases to see what - if anything - can be done for each of … [Read more...]
I have debts – can I get a mortgage?
You know a mortgage will cost the same or less than your rent which you have paid without problems for years - so it's obvious you can afford the mortgage. But that isn't what a mortgage lender looks at when they assess affordability! A few years ago, lenders only looked at the size of your deposit, your credit rating and your income. Now, in 2020, the "affordability calculations" look … [Read more...]
Should I keep paying an old debt?
Do you have to keep making payments to old debts? It can be easy to get stuck in a long-term Debt Management Plan (DMP) or payment arrangements. If you are paying little each month, your debts will take a very long while to be gone. This article looks at the questions people often ask about old debts where they have been making monthly payments to the debts. If you haven't been making … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »