A guarantor on a loan or on a mortgage acts as a default for a borrower, or as a backstop.  This means that if they are unable to repay their creditor for whatever reason, the creditor will then appeal to you for the money owed.  It is important that, if you do sign up as a guarantor in any respect, you make sure that your credit report can offer enough confidence to lenders.  Otherwise, you too may feel the repercussions of being unable to make payments on time.

YourCreditReport helps to support guarantors and borrowers alike in finding out more about their credit file and what may be expected from them when they take out loans and financing options.  Compare and contrast credit referencing from a wide range of trusted sources through our online guide and system.

If you are looking to be a guarantor then you need to carry out a credit check of your personal finances.

Follow this link for the best credit report companies in the UK.

What is a Guarantor on a Loan?

A guarantor on a loan is someone who a borrower will ask to pay for debt on their behalf if they are unable to.  When formally set up and agreed by a lender or creditor, the guarantor will be approached directly for repayments if a borrower fails to make them on time.  Effectively, this person acts as a safety net for both borrowers and lenders, in the sense that the original credit agreement can be kept in place.

A guarantor may also be required in some circumstances where poor financial history comes into play.  For example, if a lender is not satisfied that the credit history of an applicant satisfies their arrangement terms, they can request that the details of a guarantor be supplied as additional confidence.

Not only does this mean that the borrower has funding to fall back on if they fail to make repayments, it also means that the creditor’s demands are guaranteed to be satisfied.

Who can be a Guarantor for a Loan?

Anyone who is over the age of 18 and under the age of 75 can be the guarantor for a loan in the UK.  Providing they are not married to the borrower, an applicant can work in any profession providing they have a solid credit history and can therefore offer confidence to a lender.

This is why it is often so important to have your credit score in check and in good health before agreeing to be the guarantor for any party.

Best Guarantor Loans

The best guarantor loans available to borrowers will be those which offer maximum flexibility and reassurances for all parties.  As a potential guarantor, you have the full right to request what will be expected of you and your information.

Furthermore, you are also entitled to know more about what will happen with regard to your financial profile, too.  However, credit score experts, professionals and agencies will be able to help you understand what to expect from guarantor processing.

Can I Be a Guarantor with Bad Credit?

In some cases, you can be a guarantor with variable credit history.  However, in most cases, you will need to prove to a lender that you will be able to pay back any money that the borrower cannot.  As the lender will be looking for double assurance that their debts can be paid, it is doubly important that you only ever apply for this role if you know that your credit score will reflect your ability to repay.

While you can be a guarantor with a mixed credit history, it is recommended that you ensure your score is up to scratch before you make any applications known. There are many ways of improving your credit score and a lot of them are pretty easy to do.

Guarantor Mortgages for Bad Credit

There are many guarantor mortgages for bad credit available for borrowers throughout the UK – though all will be reliant upon the credit history of the chosen person to some extent.  If a borrower is suffering from poor credit, someone else be required or brought in to satisfy certain arrangement demands.

If you have poor credit, you may or may not be eligible to apply for this role – however, this will vary from lender to lender.  In any case, it is good practice to undertake a thorough guarantor credit check or analysis before you start any applications, on your behalf or on the behalf of anyone else.  It makes sense!

Does Being a Guarantor Affect my Borrowing Capacity?

It is worth bearing mind that the repayment profile of the borrower will directly affect your own credit score.  Therefore, it is in the borrower’s best interests to keep up with repayments as best they can – otherwise, your own credit score as guarantor will be affected as a result.

This, too, will naturally have an effect upon your own ability to borrow money in the future.  Therefore, consider any guarantor applications you file with care in future. You may want to consider a credit file clean up to make sure your finances are in order beforehand.

It is also a good idea to cross-reference your credit score with agencies and experts before you apply – compare with a number of the best UK agencies through YourCreditReport.

Does Being a Guarantor Affect Your Credit Rating?

As advised – your rating may be impacted positively or negatively depending upon your borrower’s ability to repay.  In any case, your credit file may advise that you have had to act as guarantor, and if payments have been defaulted upon, this may affect you negatively – so do take careful consideration when making any applications known!

Compare Online

You can now compare credit rating experts online with us with ease – all you need to do is click here to get started!  Alternatively, if you need any additional support and guidance, get in contact with us today and get more information on your credit.

YourCreditReport is here to offer you wider access to guidance for guarantor credit check needs and more besides.

The post Guarantor Credit Check appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Having a mobile phone is now something of a necessity; we can’t image our lives without them. If, like the vast majority of people, you would like an up-to-date handset but can’t afford the £500 to £1,000 that they cost upfront, then a monthly contract is the solution.

A monthly contract involves having a financial background check which is where some people come unstuck. It’s possible to still get a monthly contract even if you have a bad credit rating, you just won’t have access to the best deals available. You may want to look at how to get a better credit score before trying to get one of these packages.

You might be offered an earlier version of the handset you wanted or a more basic handset instead because these represent less of a risk to the network provider should you run into difficulties when paying for your monthly contract.

Can you get a phone contract with bad credit?

With mobile phones being integral to everyday life, people are genuinely concerned about whether their financial history will let them down when it comes to applying for a contract. So if you have a less than impressive financial history, can you get a phone contract with bad credit?

Obviously the better your history is the higher your chances of passing the credit check are. If you want the very latest phone package with a lot of texts, minutes and internet usage included each month then you will have to pass the phone credit check. You could try looking at your history yourself first by using one of the many online services. See our UK Credit Ratings review for information on this particular site.

If your assessment comes back to say that you do not qualify for the package that you want, they provider may still be able to offer you something. For example, if you don’t qualify for the iPhone X you wanted, you might be offered the iPhone 8 instead. It may not be exactly what you wanted but it is still a very good phone.

Minimum Credit Score for Mobile Phone contract

With all the talk surrounding passing background checks to get the very best mobile phone contracts, what is the minimum credit score for a mobile phone contract? This isn’t a straightforward answer.

The problem lies in the fact that there isn’t one universal scoring system. Lenders will consult a reporting agency to get an idea of your history, but each agency has its own unique scoring system and scale. The three agencies that most lenders consult are Equifax, Experian and CallCredit and their scales vary greatly. See our Equifax report review here to learn more about this brand. For example;

A score of 700 with Equifax is considered a good credit score, but a score of 700 with Experian is considered poor on their scale.  

To complicate things further, each lender has its own ideas about what is deemed to be a risk or not. What one provider thinks is risky another provider will be perfectly fine with. So, there isn’t just one golden number to aim for when it comes to a mobile contract, there are actually three.

1. A good score with Equifax is between 700 and 749
2. A good score with Experian is between 881 and 960
3. A good score with CallCredit is 3 and above

How to Check Credit Rating for Mobile Phone

Knowing how to check your credit rating for a mobile phone contract is relatively straightforward and will cost either very little or nothing at all. The easiest way is to sign up to the services that the reporting agencies offer.

They all have some variation of being able to check your credit score for free, but if you want to look at your report which is a lot more in depth, then you may have to pay a monthly fee for this after your free trial has expired. It can help you with many things such as checking for CCJs online which may be affecting your score.

It’s worth finding out your score for each agency as there is no pattern as to which agency your chosen provider will use. Each agency is required to let you have one full report every twelve months for free, so take full advantage of this and request one from each agency.

Once you have your reports you should check them thoroughly for any discrepancies as even simple errors can have a dramatic negative effect on your credit score.

How long does it take to do a credit check for Vodafone?

Waiting for a phone credit check in the UK to come back with its results can be a nerve-racking experience, especially if it takes longer than it should. The different networks all use different combinations of credit reference agencies for their information, so there’s no one true timeline either.

As an example, how long does it take to do a credit check for Vodafone? It can be as little as a few minutes or as long as a few days. Vodafone have a reputation for being one of the more strict networks so if the credit check takes a little longer than you were anticipating, don’t panic!

O2 Phone Credit Check

An O2 phone credit check can vary in the amount of time that it takes to be processed. It may take just a few seconds or it may take a few days. If the checks are being performed over the weekend then this can also slow the process down, so as difficult as it is wondering what the outcome is, you may have to play the waiting game for a little bit longer.

You could always try finding out yourself by using an online service. An example of one of these would be the My Credit Monitor site which you can learn more about through our detailed review.

Does TalkTalk Mobile do Credit Checks?

As the relative new kid on the block with an advertising campaign that prides itself on being cost-effective, does TalkTalk mobile do credit checks? Much like all the other mobile phone network providers, TalkTalk perform a file check before agreeing to allow someone to sign up to a monthly contract.

The results of this assessment can be almost instantaneous or it can take a few days depending upon when the check is made. Checks can take longer to be approved over the weekend as this is traditionally a busier time.

Virgin Mobile Credit Check how long?

Virgin Mobile is another provider that perform financial background checks before giving the ok for a contract to be authorised. How long the credit check takes varies considerably. Even if you’ve got a perfect rating it can still take up to a couple of days for a contract to be authorised.

This can be due to requests taking longer over the weekend or even computer systems problems that slow the process down.

Another reason people might want to look at their financial history online is to check if they meet the minimum credit rating to rent. This may be if they are thinking about renting a flat or house.

Do T-Mobile do Credit Checks?

Do T-Mobile do credit checks? The simple answer to this is Yes. T-Mobile and Orange were absorbed into the EE umbrella in 2012, so it will be EE that does the check on you.

Confirmation or rejection times can vary anywhere between straight away to three or four days. This is pretty standard within the mobile phone industry so you shouldn’t worry too much if the check takes a couple of days to come back.

Credit Score Needed for Apple Upgrade Program

The credit score that is needed for the Apple upgrade program will depend completely upon the package that you want. An Apple upgrade does not necessarily mean you want the top of the range newest iPhone.

The iPhone you do want may now be classed as an older model and as a result, the package will be cheaper and the check should be easier to pass. The iPhones come in a variety of options that will have an effect on how the package is priced. Some of the factors that will influence the monthly cost include;

• What model iPhone you want
• What storage capacity you want
• What size phone you want
• The amount of minutes you want
• The amount of texts you want
• The amount of browsing data you want
• If you want any free gifts as part of the package

The more expensive the package, the better your score will need to be because it poses a greater risk to the mobile network provider.

Apple iPhone Upgrade Credit Score Eligibility Check

An Apple iPhone upgrade will require a credit score eligibility check before it is approved. This will take the form of a background check to see whether your previous payment history was acceptable to the network provider.

If you’ve been a good payer and are staying with the same network then this generally gives you a small advantage. However, other negative factors such as missed payments, bankruptcy, CCJs and IVAs will affect your overall score too, so it’s a good idea to check your report before applying for new credit.

A different reason that people may want to know more about their financial background is applying for a new jump. Sometimes employers will complete a credit check for a new job to see if an applicant has a good or bad rating before employing them.

How to get approved for a cell phone with bad credit

Knowing how to get approved for a cell phone with bad credit takes a certain amount of plate-spinning. As a general rule of thumb, the more expensive the monthly package is the more of a potential risk it is to the provider. If you’ve got a bad history then save yourself the embarrassment of being turned down for one of the top packages and set the bar a little lower.

What do you actually need from your phone? If you want a good smartphone capable of sending emails, picture messages and has a good camera on it then you don’t need to go for the very latest £1,000 model.

A smartphone from the same manufacturer that was considered the top model the year before will now be much cheaper than the newest model and therefore less of a risk to a network provider. You still get a great phone and you are far more likely to pass the check for it. So, compromise a little and you’ll still be able to get a great device without being turned down by the networks.

Failed Credit Check Carphone Warehouse

A failed credit check at Carphone Warehouse will probably mean you will fail the check for a similar package at another mobile phone retailer. It’s a bit of an Old Wives Tale that one retailer is more lenient than the other and this is because they all use the same reporting agencies to get their data about your financial history.

If you have failed a phone credit check in the UK then see what else the network might be able to offer you. Be prepared to lower your expectations a little and you can still come away with a very attractive phone package.

Failed Credit Check for Mobile Phone

If you have failed a credit check for a mobile phone then there are few options left open to you;

Put a deposit down

Some mobile phone providers advertise their phone packages with a free phone. If you fail the assessment then they can sometimes be overruled if you have the means to be able to put a deposit down for the phone. This is entirely at the provider’s discretion and there are no guarantees that they will offer you this alternate method.

Choose a less expensive package

It sounds obvious, but going for a less expensive phone package can help considerably. Do you really need the very latest all-singing-all-dancing phone with the highest internal capacity and unlimited everything? The lower the risk to the phone provider, the better your chances of being accepted for a package.

PAYG

If all else fails there are always the Pay As You Go packages. These tend to work well for people with very bad credit history but you have to pay upfront for a new phone. PAYG packages are great if you can get an old phone from someone else who has just upgraded.

This way you get a decent phone and you don’t have to worry about a regular bill each month, you just top up as and when you want to.

There are plenty of great online services where you can learn more about getting a phone credit check or looking at your own score beforehand.

The post Phone Credit Check appeared first on Your Credit Report.

A CCJ check online usually involves paying a small fee, and this is somewhere between £6 and £10. You may want to look at the register to see if an old judgement has been removed because your credit score is not as high as you thought it was. People often need this information if they are interested in a credit score for renting property or they need to take out a loan of some kind.

It could be that a potential employer performs a credit check to see whether you are a suitable candidate for a position within their company and this could involve a County Court Judgement check. Likewise, any potential landlord might want to conduct a CCJ check online to see if their new prospective tenant has any CCJs.

What is a CCJ?

So, what is a CCJ? A CCJ, or County Court Judgement, is where a court has to intervene in a monetary issue between two parties. If someone takes court action against you because you owe them money and you have not responded, it then becomes the duty of the courts to settle the disagreement. To do this they issue a CCJ which will determine a number of things including:

• Who you are paying
• The total you have to pay
• How you should pay it, either outright or in monthly increments
• When it has to be paid by

Part of the requirements of this is that your name will go on a log known as the register of judgements. This log is available to any member of the public and it will show that you have failed to keep to your financial agreements to the point where the courts have had to step in and take control.

Anyone conducting a CCJ check online will be able to see your name and this can be highly embarrassing for some people whereas others are not concerned by it. You must be aware that your name will enter this register and remain there for up to six years.

If you find yourself in this position, you could try and clean up your credit file to improve your score. This would make it easier for you to get a mortgage or borrow money in the future.

How Long does a CCJ Last?

Most people in this position want to know how long does a CCJ last for? This is very much down to the courts to decide and a lot of it will have to do with how much money you owe. Each person’s financial situation is completely unique and so the length of time that a CCJ is paid back over reflects this.

Once a CCJ has been approved, the courts will send you the details in the form of a letter and it will state how much is owed and how long the debt needs to be paid for. Regardless of whether you pay it off early or not, the order will still appear on the judgements register for six years and therefore could negatively affect your credit score for this length of time.

The only exception to this rule is if you pay the CCJ in full within one month of it being actioned. In this scenario, you can apply to have your name removed from. This usually costs £15 but if you are on a low income then you may not be charged this amount.

It’s a good idea to check your own financial history and see if there are any outstanding debts which could be affecting it.  Have a look at our CreditReport.co.uk site review to see details on one of the online services.

How Much does a CCJ Affect your Credit Rating?

A CCJ may not seem like a big deal but it can adversely have a damaging effect on your credit score. How much does a CCJ affect your credit rating? Well, that depends on how quickly you pay for it.

An order like this is seen as a breach of financial trust, so any potential lender will think twice about loaning you money if they see you have an order against you. Your details will appear on the register of judgements for six years and can therefore damage your credit rating for this length of time.

You may find it very hard to apply for further credit while this is still active on your report, but if you do pass you will find that the rates and terms and conditions are not nearly as attractive as they were before the judgement. Often mortgage credit reports are carried out to determine your financial history. Having a poor score can affect your chances of being accepted.

The only way a CCJ would not impact your rating severely is if you pay it off within the first month. You can apply for the order to be removed within the first month of it being issued and this should not damage the rating.

How to Clear a CCJ from a Credit File

The process of how to clear a CCJ from a credit file can be undertaken on two levels; at the beginning of the term and after it has ended. If you pay it within the first month, you can use an N443 application form to apply to the courts to have your details removed from the register. This happens relatively quickly and there is little-to-no cost involved.

After one month the order stays on the register of judgements and your file for six years and there is no way to remove it sooner. You can apply for a ‘Certificate of Satisfaction,’ which is the same process as applying to have your details removed within the first month.

The difference here is that this will just show prospective lenders that you have paid the debt – it will not remove it before the six-year period has ended. Make sure to check for yourself by using a service like Credit Angel online which displays your file for you.

The other way to clear CCJs from a credit file comes after the six years has elapsed. Technically it should just fall off the credit report after six years but if it doesn’t you can write to the reporting agencies to have it removed. There should be no charge involved in this process.

County Court Judgement Search

A County Court Judgement search can be accessed by anyone because it is a public document. This can include yourself, potential employers and landlords, and anyone carrying out a credit check on you.

It can also include friends, family members and people that you may have had disagreements with in the past. It will include personal information such as your name and address as well as showing that you have had severe financial issues and the amount of money involved.

The unfortunate side to a CCJ check online is that literally anyone can see that you have had CCJs brought against you and it can be embarrassing. Another popular company which allows you to see your financial history for yourself is the Check My File site which we have also reviewed here.

CCJ Register Free Search

The Registry Trust limited website is where you can search for details of a CCJ being appointed. There may be a small charge involved for accessing this information but if you want to look at your own details on the CCJ register using a free search then you may have to be a little bit crafty.

The three big credit reporting agencies, all have offers where you can look at your credit report free of charge for a limited time. By signing up to one or all of these services you will be able to find out if a County Court Judgement is attached to your file. Just be sure to cancel the subscription if you don’t want to use it at a later date. If you want to view someone else’s details for free then this may not be possible.

Experian Credit Report CCJ

An Experian credit report will document any CCJs that are attached to your credit file, even ones that may be incorrect. It could be that a judgement has been applied to the file through a simple clerical error, but all the time that it is on there it is damaging your credit rating.

Experian have a 30-day trial offer that lets you explore their full service. After the 30 days have expired you can continue to receive your credit score for free but not the full report. You can choose to carry on with the service but there is a monthly charge involved.

If you discover that there is a CCJ attached to your credit file that you do not recognise then you must contact Experian as soon as possible to have it removed. You can learn more about credit scores if you are unsure of how they will affect you financially.

Equifax CCJ Satisfied

As with all credit referencing agencies, Equifax should remove any CCJs from your file once they have been satisfied. After the six-year time period has elapsed the order should naturally come off your credit file, but credit reports can have a three-month delay on them.

If you want to challenge Equifax as to why it is still showing on your report you should allow for this time discrepancy. Once the order has been completed and the trace of it is removed from your credit report, you should find that you in time your credit score will start to rebuild itself and you will find applying for credit will become easier too.

The post CCJ Check Online appeared first on Your Credit Report.

The trouble is, the rating system is far from straightforward. Because there isn’t a universal scoring system this leads to confusion as to what the minimum credit score for renting in the UK actually is. A similar issue is looking at credit reports for mortgages if you are thinking of buying rather than renting.

The truth is there are three main credit reporting agencies that lenders use to get historical financial information from and each one has its own unique scoring system. These agencies are Equifax, Experian and CallCredit. These three separate scores are all as equally important as the other because there is no pattern as to which ones the lender will use to obtain your financial information.

In the end, it is ultimately up to the landlord to decide whether or not they accept you as a tenant. A check can be performed but the results are in no way legally binding. You may have a poor or bad credit score and the landlord could still accept you.

I want to Rent a House but have Bad Credit

Here’s a scenario that a lot of people find themselves in; I want to rent a house but have bad credit. Where do you go from here? Landlords have to perform a financial background check before agreeing to take you on as a tenant but they need your permission to do so first.

You are well within your rights to refuse the check but this could damage your chances before they have even started if it looks like you have something to hide. Find out more about what a credit score is if you are unsure about having an assessment done.

You could always be honest with your landlord. Tell them your history is bad and that you fully expect the search to fail to reach the ‘minimum credit score’ for renting in the UK.

This honest approach may actually help you because your landlord can see that you are not trying to hide something from them and they then see you in a much more favourable light. Just because you have bad credit it doesn’t automatically rule you out from applying for tenancy.

If you want to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed, request copies of your report from each of the big reporting agencies. These are available for free once a year by law and only cost a couple of pounds after that.

Once you have them, scour them with a fine tooth comb for any discrepancies and if there are any get them removed as soon as possible. Removal of misinformation can have a massively positive effect on your score and improve your chances of scoring higher on the credit check.

Will I pass a Credit Check for Renting?

A major concern for a lot of people when applying for tenancy is Will I pass a credit check for renting? This all depends on your credit report and what the landlord deems as a pass. The results are based on how you have conducted your finances, both in the present day and in the past.

If you have missed payments or have had to enter a financial restructuring program such as bankruptcy or an IVA then these will bring your score down. Conversely, if you’ve managed your payments effectively then this will have a positive effect on your score. See our review of the Check My File site if you would like to start checking yourself.

Your score is a reflection of how financially trustworthy you would appear to be. At the end of the day it is your landlord’s decision as to whether they take you on as a tenant or not. There is no legal minimum credit score for renting in the UK, and a landlord will use the results of a background check purely as a guideline.

The truth is that a lot of people are struggling with debt these days and bad credit ratings are all too common. The official report may say that your finance history is bad but that does not necessarily mean that you will be turned down for tenancy.

When renting a property, what is the Credit Check?

Okay, so we’ve established that there’s no getting around the credit check, the question then becomes when renting a property, what is the procedure? This is not as invasive as you would first expect it to be.

The report that your potential landlord sees will only have information that is available to the public on it. They will be able to see if you have had things such as;

• County Court Judgements
• Bankruptcy
• Decrees
• Administration orders

They will also search for the following personal details;

• Your full name
• Your address
• The Electoral Roll register to verify you are legally registered at an address

The personal details checks are purely to confirm that the identity details you have given the landlord or estate agents are correct. The remaining information that they can gather all comes from public records.

If you have had a serious financial lapse and needed to go bankrupt or you have CCJs, then part of the restructuring program is having your details logged onto a public register. This is the extent to which the landlords’ credit check can go. It will not reveal your actual score, account numbers or how much you are in debt by.

There are plenty of ways to improve your credit score if you are having difficulty and have struggled with debt in the past. These can help make it easier to get loans, mortgages and even cars.

Do Landlords do a Credit Check?

A frequently asked question when applying for tenancy is, Do Landlords do a credit check? The short answer is yes, they do. What’s important to remember is that this is not like applying for a loan; there is no 50/50 chance that you will or won’t be accepted.

This is because the landlord is not bound to accept you if you pass, just as they are not bound to accept you if your score isn’t particularly high. The assessment still has to be done but it is at their discretion whether they accept you as a tenant or not.

Do all Letting Agents do a Credit Check?

Another common question is ‘Do all letting agents do a credit check?’ Firstly, if they do then they need your permission to perform it. Secondly, if they do want to check your history then it’s only to see if you can afford your rent – they are not interested in the full ins and outs of your finances.

They can only use information that is stored on public registers, so they will check the Electoral Roll to confirm you are who you say you are, but after that any financial information they get is also from the public sector. If you have never had CCJs or bankruptcy and the like then there will be no information for them to see and your credit report should be favourable.

You can have a look at your own rating by using a service such as My Credit Monitor or many other alternatives online.

Can Letting Agents see Defaults?

A common concern is ‘Can letting agents see defaults?’ The only defaults they will be able to see are major ones that have resulted in a financial restructuring. This will include things such as bankruptcy, CCJs, administration orders and IVAs. If you paid your mobile phone bill late a couple of times then don’t worry, this will not appear on the report that the letting agents and the landlord sees.

How long does it take to do a Credit Check for Renting?

If you have to have a credit report done then there’s nothing worse than wondering if you are going to pass it or not. Whether it’s for a personal loan or a tenancy agreement, the wait can seem interminable.

So, how long does it take for a credit check for renting to come back? As a general rule of thumb, it can take between two and ten days for a renting credit report to come back but shouldn’t take any longer than that.

If you want to find out more about the process, see our Scores Matter review for a look at one of the top services online.

Acceptable Credit Score for Renting a Property in the UK

Knowing what an acceptable credit score for renting a property in the UK is can be a confusing affair. There are three main reporting companies that financial institutions use to determine credit suitability, but the problem is that they all have their own scales.

For this reason, you don’t have just one credit score, you actually have three. The table below illustrates how they use their own ratings and what they actually mean for you in terms of a good or bad score.

Failed Credit Check for Renting

If you’ve failed a credit check for renting then what should your next step be? Just because you have failed the perceived minimum credit score for renting in the UK that does not mean that your landlord will not be open to having you as a tenant. You should speak to them and see whether the failed check is an issue for them.

If it turns out that the rating is a potential sore point the landlord can also do something known as tenant referencing. This is basically a character reference from someone you know attesting to the fact that you are capable of paying your rent on time.

This is usually from your employer or from someone who has known you a long time in a position of responsibility such as a teacher or doctor. You could also get a guarantor who would act as an insurance policy for the landlord. If you cannot make your monthly rent payments then the guarantor promises to make them for you.

A failed credit report does not mean the end of the road for you as a tenant. Explore all the possible avenues available to you and renting a place of your own will be available to you.

The post Minimum Credit Score for Renting UK appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Very simply, your score is a reflection on what financial obligations you have and how you have maintained them. Even everyday things that you take for granted, such as paying for your car insurance monthly, have a credits rating consequence attached to them.

As a general rule, if you pay for it monthly then it is on credit. If this is the case, then it helps to generate your credit report. The rating is the end result of how well the finances have been managed.

Here are just a few examples of what can contribute towards your scores;

• Mortgage/ Rent
• Utility bills (gas, water, electric)
• Telecoms bills (mobile phone package, landline telephone)
• Internet
• TV package (Sky, cable, Netflix)
• Personal life insurance
• Car insurance (if paid monthly)
• Car tax (if paid monthly)
• Credit cards
• Personal loans
• Gym membership

If all of these things are paid on time then your score will rise. The healthier your rating is, the more favourable and attractive financial offers you will be eligible for. Then there’s the negative aspect of it. If you fail to keep to the terms and conditions of these various forms of credit then it will have a negative effect on the score.

The worse your score is, the harder you will find it to apply and pass for new credits and the terms and conditions you will be offered will be nowhere near as good as if your rating was better. You may be able to complete a credit file clean up if you have outstanding debts or payments which you have not settles.

How to Check Credit Score

If you are concerned or even curious about your own rating then you’ll want to know how to check your credit score. Fortunately, it couldn’t be easier to do this and there are now many different ways to acquire it for free.

The important thing to realise is this; there is not one universal scoring system that the financial institutions all use. They all use their own methods and scoring systems to determine whether they think a person is worthy of being credited or not.

What one lender may seem as a risky prospect another lender will be perfectly fine with. So how do you determine a rating from this? There are three main agencies that the vast majority of lenders will use as a basis of a person’s financial history. These are Experian, Equifax and Callcredit.

In keeping with the ‘no universal system’ theme, these three agencies all have their own scales, so it’s a good idea to do a check with them to get a true idea of the state of your finances. Alternatively, you could check out other services such as the Credit Angel site if you want to see other options.

The way to do this is to go to their respective websites and sign up for their services. If you want a basic report then this will be free, but if you want a more in-depth analysis then you may have to pay for the privilege.

Why Check Credit Score?

If you were wondering why you would even want to check your credit score, it’s because it is the key to a lot of aspects of everyday life. Your financial rating has the power to let you apply for credit and pay for things gradually and manageably if it is managed correctly.

If it’s not then it can have serious consequences on your ability to even get something a simple as a mobile phone contract. In extreme cases your report. Find out more on employment credit reports if this is something you are concerned about.

If an error has been made on your credit report or if something is still on that should have been removed, then it will negatively affect your scores. If you are applying for as life-changing as a mortgage, your ability to apply for and obtain an excellent package may be hampered through such discrepancies.

Example;

‘David Jones and Darren Jones are identical twins who live at the same address. David manages his finances well while Darren manages his finances poorly. David applies for a loan and gets turned down despite managing his money well. Why? The answer is D Jones appeared on his report – Darren’s bad financial conduct has mistakenly been put onto David’s credit report, meaning that he does not qualify for the loan he is applying for.’

Something as simple as this can have a devastating effect on your individual ratings and your ability to attain finance. This is why it is so important to check scores.

Experian Credit Score Range

The Experian Score range runs from 0 to 999 and it is compartmentalised into different ‘zones.’ The table below illustrates these zones and what they mean in real terms. Also view our Experian CreditExpert review here.

Equifax Credit Score Range

The Equifax Score range differs from the Experian score range. It runs from 300 to 850 and the table below illustrates what each score means. See our review of Equifax to learn more about their services.

What is a good Credit Score UK?

With all the agencies using different methods of coming to a conclusion it can be difficult to understand what a ballpark figure is. So, what is a good credit score in the UK?

With Experian, a good result is 700 and above, whereas with Equifax it is 660 and above. Noddle, who provide the scores for CallCredit have a scale of 1 to 5 and anything over a 3 is considered a good score.

As there is no one universal scoring system, there is no one universal rating to aim for. If you are keeping tabs the three scores then these are the figures you should be aiming for. It’s common for companies to look at your financial history if you are applying for credits. For example, a mobile phone credit check might be done by a provider to see if you will be able to keep up payments on a contract.

Free Credit Score Check

A free credit score check is available from all three of the agencies. All that is involved is providing a few details such as name and address and answering a few security questions. The big three will provide you with your credit rating for free, but if you want a little more in-depth information then you may have to pay for the privilege.

There are plenty more brands online which offer these kinds of services. For example, see our review of Credit Reports Matter to learn about this particular site.

Credit Score Companies

There are three credit score companies that the vast majority of financial institutions use for an idea of a person’s financial history. Equifax, Experian and CallCredit provide nearly all of the information that these institutions use but how they decide to interpret it is completely different. Here is a snapshot of how your information is distributed by these three companies;

This is why it is important to keep track of all three of your scores. The lenders use them in different ways and in different combinations. One lender may use Equifax and CallCredit, another may just use Equifax, so it’s important to make sure that all three figures are the best that they can be.

You can also use these services to have a look at the report yourself and see if there are any outstanding issues. Sometimes people will check online for CCJs to see if they have any judgements on their file which need to be sorted.

Credit Score Check Explained

When someone asks, ‘what is a credit score?’, it’s hard enough to explain that without having to explain what is involved with the check as well. However, the credit score check explained goes a little like this;

• You apply for credit
• Your lender will perform a check on you to see what your ratings say about your previous financial conduct
• The check will be performed by one, two or all three of the credit reporting agencies. This involves looking at your financial history and seeing how you have conducted those accounts. Every missed payment, default, charge, and serious transgression will be flagged up and reduce your score. Every payment made on time will help your result
• The score is generated and sent back to the lender
• The lender then decides how to use this information. Each lender will interpret the result differently and this will not only determine if you pass or not, but also what terms and conditions you will be offered.

The post What is a Credit Score? appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Pre-employment credit checks are a pre-emptive strike on behalf of the employer to see how much of a fraud or theft risk you potentially are. This is obviously especially important if you are working in the financial sector but it’s now also common in the healthcare and engineering sector too.

Of course, it is not always the case that people with bad financing will commit fraud – after all, someone with no debts at all is equally capable of doing the same thing. The point of the assessment is to identify the potential risk before it becomes an actual risk. It’s similar to credit checks for a mortgage which you may have had before.

Can Bad Credit Affect Employment?

If you are applying for a new job, the question ‘Can bad credit affect my employment chances?’ may not have even crossed your mind. The answer to this question is a definite ‘Maybe.’ These checks are not carried out by law; employers perform them at their own discretion.

You have to authorise one being performed on you before they can go ahead with it, but the ironic thing is that not agreeing to one may go against you just as much as having one and the report reading badly.

It also depends on which sector you are seeking employment in. If you are looking for employment in the financial sector for instance where you are strongly linked with money, then checking someone’s score is an almost foregone conclusion.

If your report shows you may be a potential liability due to the amount of debt that you have then that could jeopardise your employment chances. If you have ever tried to get a mobile phone contract, you will probably have been subject to a phone credit check beforehand. The process is much the same for a job application.

Employment Credit Check UK

An employment credit check in the UK will be conducted if the employer deems it a necessary precaution. It is up to you whether you are happy with this or not, but if the thought of an employer looking into your financial history bothers you it may not be a good idea to apply for that position.

The results of a credit check for a job must be kept confidential for legal reasons, so whether you get the job or not your financial data with remain private. The check that they will perform will only use information that is legally available to the general public, but they must not disclose the details of it to anyone or risk breaking the Data Protection Act.

Top Credit Report for Job Application

If you are concerned about your finance history affecting your chances of applying for a job then you should take a look at your report to see if there’s anything you can do to help improve your credit score.

There isn’t just one top credit report for job applications that you should use, in fact there are three. The three main agencies in the UK that financial institutions use to determine your score. See more details on these below:

1. Experian Credit Report review
2. Equifax Credit File Check
3. Callcredit

You should obtain a report from each of these providers, however. Each one has its own scoring system and financial institutions do not use them all as a rule, so the results from each agency could be very different.

Once you have the reports you can see if any of the information is out of date or just plain wrong. If it is you must contact the relevant reporting agency and get it removed as soon as possible.

Something as simple as a spelling mistake could mean that someone else’s bad credit has inadvertently ended up on your score and could scupper your chances of getting the job that you want.

Pre-Employment Credit Check – What are they looking for?

If a company does carry out a pre-employment credit check, what are they looking for? They are looking to see how you have conducted your finances and to see whether the results of the check means that you pose a potential risk to them.

It’s a good idea to have a look at your own report first so you know your own history. There are several online services which offer this, check out our Check My File review to learn more about this particular service.

You can see it from their point of view; someone who may be struggling severely with debt and is applying for a job in a bank handling cash all day could be seen as a potential problem. The check is also to see the potential for stealing personal data from computer systems and to see how organised you are with your own affairs before giving you the responsibility of being in charge of someone else’s.

A pre-employment check is not an in-depth credit search. They are only allowed to search the public registers for evidence of your financial history, but they will also look at the Electoral Roll Register to confirm your name and address matches what you have given them on your application. This may sound odd, but it is a classic fraud trick to give a false name and address.

What do they look for in a background check for a job?

So, what do they look for in a background check for a job? In addition to confirming your name and address details match up by looking at the electoral register, they will check the publicly held records for any evidence of serious debt mismanagement. This will include arrangements such as;

• CCJs
• Bankruptcy
• Voluntary Arrangements
• Decrees
• Administration Orders

Each one of these serious breaches of financial trust means that you have to have your details logged on a public register as part of the restructuring program. Your potential employers have access to this data and could use it to determine whether they consider you a risk or not.

Can Employers look at your Credit Report?

Can employers look at your credit report? In a word, no, they can’t. That information is covered by the Data Protection Act and is off-limits to anyone without your expressed permission.

However, they CAN see a stripped back version of the report that shows your payment record, the amount you owe, and your available credits. It does not disclose the finer details or any personal data such as your actual score, your marital status, or your account numbers. If you have ever tried to rent a property, the landlord may have carried out a similar check to see if you meet the credit score for renting in the UK.

Generally speaking, a pre-employment credit check will only consist of information that is available to the public. This may still be enough to rule you out of the running if what they find is deemed a possible risk that they don’t have to take.

What is considered a good Credit Score for employment?

A credit check for a job may have been something of an unusual event at one time, but the fact of the matter is more people than ever are struggling with their finances and are having to resort to serious forms of financial restructuring to fix them. Now, some 25% of HR teams use a form of checking to vet their potential employees.

So, what is considered a good credit score for employment? The employer will not see your actual score as they are not allowed to by law; they will only see if your repayment requirements have been met on time and in full. They are only looking for potential liabilities, so in that sense, it is just like performing a criminal background check.

Job Offer Rescinded after Credit Check

If a job offer is rescinded after a credit check then you should consider yourself unfortunate. Surveys show that the vast majority of employers are not too concerned with the results of a credit check for a job, even if the application process requires it.

To get turned down for a job because of your finances usually means that the role requires you to have access to extremely sensitive personal or financial data. If your financial history is not the best then the perceived security issue will prevent you from getting the position. The employers are not breaking the equality laws by doing this, they are just being sensible.

If you are worried about this, you can see a report for yourself on your repayment history before applying for jobs. This will give you an idea of any improvements you could make to your finances. See our Scores Matter review page for more information on a service which offers this.

Can you get a job with Bad Credit?

If your finances have been in better shape then it may be bothering you, ‘Can you get a job with bad credit?’ The overwhelming answer to this is yes.

The vast majority of employers don’t bother with these checks and even those that do say that it wouldn’t usually go against a candidate if they had a poor financial history. The only situations where a credit check for a job does seem to matter a lot is where security and financial stability are a top priority.

It’s always worth checking your own history if you are worried.

The post Credit Check for a Job appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Overview

Experian let you sign up and check your Experian credit score for free. This is not a limited time offer, this is a ‘for life’ deal. Your file is periodically updated every 30 days as long as you login regularly. You might also be interested in reading out Experian CreditExpert review, which will provide more information on the alternatives available.

To compliment this they offer a wealth of advice on how to control your finances and improve your credit score.

With Experian you can compare different financial packages such as loans, credit cards and mortgages and see which one is most suited to your needs.

You can also request a copy of your credit report for a very small charge. They do also offer a more indepth service called CreditExpert, although there is a monthly fee for this product. Your first month, however, is completely free.

The following Experian review is based on our personal observations of their services, ease of use, quality of advice and all-round experience. It is designed to give you an unbiased, honest opinion of one of the UK’s biggest credit-reporting agencies.

What is Experian?

So, what is Experian, then? Experian are a consumer credit reporting agency that serves society, businesses and individual consumers by collating and providing relevant financial data.

Experian hardly need an introduction. Over one billion people around the world use their services and they are one of the UK’s three biggest credit rating agencies along with Call Credit and Equifax.

If a financial institute wants to check on your fiscal history then the chances are they are going to use Experian to do it.

Here are a few quick facts about Experian to get an idea of the scale of the company:

• Founded in 1996.
• They are the UK’s most trusted credit score provider
• They expanded rapidly and now serve 37 countries around the world with finding a suitable credit service and supplying financial analytical data.
• The Dublin-based company employ 17,000 people.
• They are listed on the London Stock Exchange.
• They also trade on the FTSE 100 Index.

Make no mistake – this is a big company. If you want your credit report with Experian, make sure to view the report now.

Experian Credit Report Login

To access your Experian Credit Report, the first thing you need is an Experian account. This is free to do and is extremely easy to set up.

Signing up for the free service takes just a couple of minutes and is fairly self explanatory. Follow the steps below if you are uncertain in any way as to how this is done.

1. Click on the link on our site
2. Go to sign up for FREE in the top right hand corner of the page
3. Input the details you are asked for (name, address, date of birth, etc.)
4. Answer the security questions
5. That’s all there is to it. A free Experian account in a matter of minutes.

Where Experian is different to other online experiences – such as Equifax credit ratings – is the security questions that it asks.

In addition to the usual personal details we were also asked to confirm information about a personal bill from a set of multichoice answers. This was comforting as it shows they take their security protocols very seriously.

The final screen before the account was confirmed asked about our annual income and residential status.

This did feel a little intrusive but when you take into account they will use that information to provide you with financial offers that you would qualify for it is more than understandable.

The Experian Credit Report login in was straightforward. All that is required is a username or email address, password and an additional security question.

If you forget any of these there is a link to reset them provided you answer the correct security questions. Marks earned here for ease of use and attention to security measures.

Experian Free Credit Score

The Experian free credit score system is easy to understand. Your score is rated out of 999. This is split up into five sub-divisions; Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good and Excellent. To make it even easier to understand there is a colour coding system –

• Red for Very Poor (0-560 points)
• Orange for Poor ((561-720 points)
• Amber for Fair (721-880 points)
• Light Green for Good (881-960 points)
• Dark Green for Excellent (961-999 points)

This is nice and simple to help you to understand at a glance what is considered a good credit score and what is considered a bad credit score. However, this is also its drawback – it is rather basic.

There’s no additional breakdown as to why you have the score you have. It would have been nice to see what positives and negatives were affecting our score.

How to Get a Free Report

Everyone is entitled to one free credit report every twelve months by law. Accessing the Experian free credit score was simple enough but knowing how to get the Experian free credit report was altogether different.

Rather than have a simple link to click, it seems you have to register for Experian’s CreditExpert service. Although this is free for the first 30 days there is a monthly charge to access it after that.

There are a number of free reports online like Check my File and others, however Experian is one of the best.

There was an easy link to the Experian Statutory Credit Report service they offer which incurs a small charge, but trying to find the link to the Experian free credit report was a real task.

We did locate the page eventually but only once we had run it through a search engine first. Points deducted here.

Services and Features

The services and features are the most impressive thing about Experian. They allow you to search for credit cards, loans, mortgages, insurance and energy without damaging your credit report.

The big advantage of this is you can see what financial packages you would realistically be accepted for. This saves you a lot of time searching and a lot of worrying too.

Again, this process was easy to use and thoroughly transparent making for a pleasant user experience.

All of the above information can be accessed for free, but where Experian really excels is the Experian CreditExpert package.

Similar services can be found at Credit Angel.

We were able to use this feature thanks to the thirty day free trial which gave us plenty of time to really get to grips with what they have to offer.

It really does feel like it’s tailored to your individual needs. With everything from daily updates on your credit score to fraud alerts, it makes you feel as though they genuinely want to look after you and your finances.

They also have UK-based telephone support, so if you do have a question there is someone on hand to put your mind at ease.

What services and features do you actually get from Experian CreditExpert for your monthly fee?

• Daily Experian Credit Score and Credit Report
• The latest financial packages tailored to you
• Keep track of your score and understand how to improve it
• Web Monitoring
• Frequent reports on any changes
• UK helpline
• Experian fraud support

The monthly cost of this fantastic service is also far less than a lot of its competitors, so extra Brownie points were added because of this.

Dispute Process and File Correction

If you need to go through the dispute process and file correction is necessary then you need to be sure that the information you have is up to date.

Companies only send their data to Experian once a month and so it can take six weeks for a discrepancy to show up.

All credit report companies, including UK Credit Ratings have a specific dispute process and file correction, but we believe Experian to be one of the best.

Once you file a dispute, Experian promise to get back to you with the results within 28 days. It may sound like a long drawn out process, but there is a legal process that they are obliged to follow.

The FAQs section of the Experian website is very good at answering basic questions about your credit report.

Safety and Security

As you would expect from a company that deals with sensitive data, Experian’s safety and security policy is excellent. The two step password system means that your details are safe and secure.

Data protection is their number one priority and this was evident both when you login to your Experian account and when you contact their support team.

Help and Support

Yet another strong point of the Experian experience is their help and support network. Help and support are second to none – the staff are professional and helpful and are readily available.

By calling 0344 481 0800 you can ask questions about your credit report, seek financial advice and report cases of fraud.

Experian CreditExpert subscribers also have access to a dedicated fraud department. If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of fraud, it’s comforting to know that there is always someone on hand to help and reassure.

Our Verdict

Our verdict overall for credit reports is that we were very impressed with Experian. It is easy to use, self explanatory for the most part, and is genuinely helpful.

The ability to tailor your financial product checks without it affecting your credit score is a real plus, and the variety of choice is very pleasing.

The only downside we found was that it was a bit basic. If you wanted to find out why your score was at the level that it was you had to sign up for the much more comprehensive CreditExpert package.

We also struggled to find the free Experian Credit Report link but this was only a minor issue.

The post Experian appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Overview

In this review we assess UK Credit Ratings performance after personal experience with the brand, we tested it out from a customer’s perspective and looked at the pros and cons the service brings to the table. You can unravel your credit score from their report and they also include features such as viewing your social media image and other information.

The Manchester based business have spent years in the industry and their professionals help you manage your finances like you’re the expert. Find out what the lenders can see and how they’re scoring your credit performance. The main selling point of this site seems to be the effectiveness without you needing to delve too deep. There’s no jargon along with your report just strong and accurate reports accompanied with ways to improve your score.

Summary

What We Liked:

• Easy to Use
• Mobile Friendly
• Excellent Customer Service

We Didn't Like:

• Can only call until 5:30pm

Your UK Credit Ratings Report

Click to view your Credit Report and discover for yourself why we think UK Credit Ratings is a great credit score checker

Free Trial £19.95

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In This Review

Get a Free Credit Report

You can get a free credit score report from UK Credit Ratings as they brandish a free trial for all customers. You can receive your score within seconds plus there are options to add the social media feature along with joining up on an on going plan that will be able to update you with your score and techniques to improve it.

This service is aimed at those that’d prefer to skirt the unnecessary faffing and instead get down to business, they tell you what you need to know and keep the entire process simple. If you like a powerful service with no-thrills then this is the company for you, you can sign-up to 14-days for free where you’ll get a credit report and some of the e-mails that existing customers receive. Upon the completion of that period you can then join for a monthly fee of £19.95. To see more options when it comes to credit reports, please check out our other reviews such as Credit Reports Matter for further options.

Signing Up

It’s easy to sign-up at UK Credit Ratings all you need to do is click onto their website, select “See Your Score Now” and then quickly join their trial. You will get a credit score and report, be able to see your social media image and how it affects your overall chance of taking out a loan or credit card.

Signing up can be done by layman’s and it doesn’t take anything special to join the site. Plus, you can cancel at any time through the trial or even after once you’re an official member.

Once you are a member, the UK Credit Ratings login is simple. You can even save your password to make it even easier next time you log in.

 

What Affects Your Credit Score?

A question asked all too often and the answers unfortunately surprise many, that’s why a service of this kind can be so beneficial as part of understanding your finances. A running membership will ensure that you get the latest information on your credit report and it won’t affect your score when it is checked neither is it recorded.

But what actually affects your credit report?

1. Your address and how long you’ve been based there
2. Social media activity
3. Previous finances such as banks, credit cards, loans and mortgages
4. Current finances
5. Mobile phone contracts/media/broadband
6. Previous rejections
7. CCJ’s

UkCreditRatings is a no-nonsense company that help you come to terms with all you need to know and there’s no bending around the truths, they give you exactly what you need to know.

How Often Do They Update?

Like many other websites of this nature they keep your file updated, you will find an update every four to six weeks. If you have any questions or problems with the score provided then get in contact with UK Credit Ratings but allow them up to 12 weeks to make changes to the score and monitor it as you go. See our Equifax review if you would like to learn about this alternative service instead.

UKCreditRatings FAQs

If you are wondering why a default is on your record, a paid judgement is still showing, why your rating is still poor then they have a whole team that can assist you. Firstly, you are asked to be patient on updates and also to look thoroughly through what you have been sent but if you still have queries then don’t hesitate to get in touch for help and support, details on UK Credit Ratings refund and more. Your questions can be answered by their friendly customer service. Check the FAQs here and if there’s still no answers call 0330 124 3541.

Services & Features

We weren’t surprised by the service of UKCreditRatings as it was just as good as previous reviews have suggested although we’d hoped to gain access to more tools and features, the ones they do provide are flawless. In some ways, the simplicity is a strength as it keeps things uncomplicated and helps you on your way forward. Plus, they have everything you need even including the social media image feature which scans your social profiles and lets you know if it’s negatively or positively affecting your overall credit score and chances of taking out loans, mortgages and credit cards. They do help you breakdown why your score is what it is and they also offer additional services.

Their services and features include:

• A simple credit report that’s easy to use
• 24/7 identity protection
• Real-time credit monitoring, constantly updated
• Fraud monitoring
• Social image score
• Unlimited access to credit score

Identity Protection

When signing-up to this type of service, we recommend that they include this feature. It’s a great bonus to the package and UKCreditRatings actually have quite a solid system sure to deter any fraudulent activities. They give you a 24/7 service and will notify you if anything is flagged or suspicious, in addition to this they also protect your score from unnecessary penalisation. Other companies such as Experian CreditExpert also offer a similar service.

If you feel a credit report is inaccurate then you can bring it to UKCreditRatings’ attention and they will deal with it for you. A dispute and file correction means that their experts can closely place their careful eyes over the report and how it was conducted, if it is inaccurate and you have been unfairly judged then they will appeal it and help you file for a correction.

One part of this company we’ve been really impressed with is how well-rounded and helpful they are, they seem to have an accessible team easy to contact and deal with all enquiries. Something that can’t be said for all other customer services as they take a little longer to get hold of and sometimes we are still working our way through all the technicalities. You know where you stand with this business.

Is it Safe to Use?

UKCreditRatings’ reports, tests and assessments both on your credit score and your social media accounts will in no way affect your credit report. It is completely safe and is something we recommend to everybody as it is important to keep a close eye on your financial status and how it is being watched. This way you know where you stand and can seek help from those in the know.

UKCreditRatings is a large company that is responsible for numerous files and data, they take this very seriously and from what we’ve seen they’re more than reliable. You can trust them to take care of you personal details and finance details, they have limited access and cannot look this up at any time. Meaning it is not readily available to their employees, so you can feel safe in the knowledge that your details are secure.

Like many other sites, UKCreditRatings is safe to use. If you feel this is not the site for you, but you want to make certain the site you use is safe and secure, you might want to have a look at our Credit Angel Review, which offers similar things.

Help & Support

This is one of the pluses of the UKCreditRatings website, their approachable team make it easy to contact them, enquire and get all the answers that you require. If you do need help with any aspect of your credit report then don’t hesitate to get in touch, simply call the customer services on 0330 124 3541. You can cancel your account via that number, ask general enquires or find out more about their service.

Cancellation

Cancellation at UK Credit Ratings is easy. You can cancel at any point and all you need to do is simply get in touch and let them know you want to cancel.

About UKCreditRatings

UKCreditRatings.com is an export reporting service that gets their information from a specialist reference agency in the UK. These agencies provide lots of information about borrowers to lenders to help them make their decision. The information they share can be previous credit history and much more. UKCreditRatings is operated by RS Data Tech Ltd (RSDT).

For more information on UKCreditRatings, we would highly recommend looking at the terms of use which is presented on their website. You can get to the UKCreditRatings site easily by clicking the link at the top of this page.

Our Verdict

After using UKCreditRatings for credit reports and scores, identity protection and social media image monitoring, we found it very helpful. It passed our test with flying colours, despite there being areas where they could improve we feel those weaknesses actually turned out to be strengths. They are known for being a no-nonsense business who tell you exactly what you need to know and although we hoped for more tools, the fact they don’t bombard you with all the little details or insignificant facts is a pro. Sign-up and find out your score without any of the jargon.

We were pleased with the overall service and their customer service team were very friendly, they answered any enquires that we had and even have an FAQ section that extensively visits new customer’s concerns. If you are unsure on the company or procedure in itself then visit the frequently asked questions page.

It’d be nice to have a blog that could keep us constantly in the know with the latest finance and lender tactics. But overall UKCreditRatings allowed us to have a positive experience, if you wish to join then you should make full use of the 14-day free trial. This will allow you to embrace a free credit report and if you wish to join after then it’s simple and you can always cancel from then on without any hassle whatsoever.

The post UK Credit Ratings appeared first on Your Credit Report.

Overview

This friendly credit report service have a bundle of features in addition to their standard report and ratings, our team of experts have objectively reviewed the service and reported back the pros and cons.

We are in no way associated with this company or any others listed on our page, but we have used the website as a customer and broken down some of the features that they have available.

It’s great that in the modern era we have expert information at our fingertips, when you sign-up to CreditReport.co.uk you can enjoy a free credit score check, analytical tools, fraud assistance and a customer service on-hand to help you on your potential credit endeavours.

Summary

What We Liked:

• The most in-depth information of all tested services
• Easily rebuild your credit file with their helpful tips

We Didn't Like:

• Can be a long process
• No social media

CreditReport.co.uk

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In This Review

About CreditReport.co.uk

This UK Credit Report website brings you exactly that- with an in-depth look at your credit rating. Upon registering you will be able to embrace a lot of information that comes your way and it’s all pretty easy to comprehend.

These experts have been in the game a long time and after decades of experience in the sector they now put it to good practice with monitoring services, fraud deterrence and of course, ways to improve your credit score.

Who are creditreport.co.uk? They began their journey in the industry all the way back in 1999 where they were the first company of this nature, there were no others available to offer online access to credit reports.

Fast-forward to today and it’s common practice and almost a fundamental for those conscious about their score and chances of gaining a credit card, loan or mortgage.

They do not sell customer data to third parties, have a secure system and also offer a free credit check, again, they were the first to offer this and continue to be ahead of the trailing pack with many of their financial solutions and credit monitoring. Another good brand to try out can be seen in our Scores Matter review as they offer a range of services too.

How to Sign-Up

Once you visit their domain you’ll see just how easy it is to signup and then login with just a few details required. You can capitalise on the fantastic free trial that includes all of their features and if you’re happy with the service you can keep it running for just £12.99.

This is one of the cheaper programmes on the market and that’s down to a lack of data, in-fact they have some attributes that many others don’t.

The sign up is easy, just follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the Credit Report site using our link at the top of this page
2. Click Login
3. Click ‘Not a Customer – Sign up now’
4. Fill in your detail (name, email address, password, payment, etc.)
5. View your credit report now

It only takes seconds and you don’t have to offer too much extensive information. Once you have completed this you will receive an e-mail of confirmation and can also log-in.

Do this and enjoy their complete functionality without worrying about it taking too long or having to make big payments.

Signing up is simple and we were also impressed with the great value offered online as they only charge £12.99 a month, a lot cheaper than their rivals who usually cost closer to £20.

Alternatively, you may want to try out Experian free credit report, although they may not have the same benefits like with CreditReport.co.uk.

Fraud Protection

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked and after utilising their service for this review, we managed to see how important it really is.

They displayed tactics that we weren’t aware of and even have different identity protection software that could prove a god send for you.

The majority of credit report sites have protection against fraud, as this is a very important thing to think about when putting in your details online.

Make certain to check this out before signing up to any site and putting in your card details.

Depth of Information

There are certainly places they can improve- as they don’t showcase the social media image feature or other potential monitoring utilities, but they then offer the contrast in other areas with a complete full-circle service when it comes to identity protection and credit reports.

You can get a full view of your report with plenty of options that enable you to look at each and every item. Enjoy a historic look that tracks your records that date back six years, it’s also possible to view other little details and items that all amass to create your score.

The credit score service is second to none and has a lot of depth whilst the additional features also give you everything you need.

Although they interact brilliantly and their customer rapport is that of the best, the actual dispute process is quite drawn out although this is usually the case at many companies as it takes a lot of detail and isn’t something that can be taken lightly.

If you feel as though this might not be something you would want, you might want to check out our Experian Credit Expert review.

Service & Features

Being the first online credit report company, they have a lot to live up to and in 2006 they also became the first website to offer this for free.

This service continues and with other companies hot on their heels, it seems that they’ve surpassed their personal best and now offer not only an in-depth breakdown of your financial history and credit report that’s compiled via all the technological advances they have available but also identity protection features that are personally catered for you.

Their fraud protection enables you to see where theft has occurred in the local area and ways that you can avoid it. They also examine historical data that they decipher and you will enjoy a complete breakdown.

One of their biggest strengths is the fact that they brandish unlimited information and assistance, get hold of their fraud assistance team to prevent anybody stealing your identity.

Their team contact you every time credit is taken out in your name meaning there’s no way of anybody sneaking past your firewall of approval.

Here are some of the many features that are included when you signup with CreditReport.co.uk:

• Free credit report
• Analytical tools that enable you to understand your rating
• Customer support and fraud prevention notifications
• Detail breakdown
• Historical financial breakdown

Dispute Process and File Correction

If you apply for a loan of financial aid but feel you’ve been wrongfully rejected then check the score that you received.

Is it accurate? If you feel the credit score itself is inaccurate then you should get in contact with the lender, this isn’t something that should be half-heartedly looked at, you should check the score and if it doesn’t represent what you owe or how you score should look now or in the past six weeks, get in touch. If that fails you can easily contact the customer support at Credit Report and ask for their assistance.

They can help you draw up an appeal and start to address why it may be inaccurate. Also have a look at our Check My File review to see another great service which we have used.

Ease of Use

This website is one of the easiest to use and it’s full to the brim with information, they have additional pages on credit reports, identity protection detail, interactive analysis and how you can look at for local identity theft. They’re on the ball and their communication ensures that you are too.

You don’t need to be a computer whizz or a financial expert, they do all of this for you. Just sign up to their monthly service and they will be by your side to see you through the process.

Credit Report Help & Support

This is where they trump many other companies, with their attention to detail customer service that’s always on-hand to help you and your score.

They can be contacted instantaneously and their fraud protection team will be in touch with you if there’s any reason for them to be.

You can e-mail them by clicking here or you could call their Freephone number on 0800 086 9315. If you’d rather send an old-fashion letter full with your enquiries then write to:

CreditReport.co.uk
Chynoweth House
Trevissome Park
Truro
TR4 8UN

This is where they excel, so if your looking for a company that give you their undivided attention when need it, this is the credit report service for you!

Cancellations

Cancellation is simple. All you need to do is call the company or send them an email and they will be able to sort it for you.

Our Verdict

Pioneers in this field – they started a lot of UK credit reports and were the first to bring it to the public for free. That’s why we have a soft spot for this business, but it’s not why we rate them so highly- that’s merely down to the complete professionalism and higher knowledge they have in this industry.

They have extensive experience and a team that take it very seriously, although they lack in some aspects with no social media reports or other monitoring tools, they have hit the heights of others.

You can enjoy fraud protection with a team that will be there specifically for you and they will call you if they see any suspicious behaviour, they actually notify you of anything taken out in your name.

They get praise from us and this stands as one of our favourite credit report websites with everything you need and a great breakdown that tells you how they came to your credit score. Plus they actively help you improve this score and even have a plentiful guide to numerous information on their website.

It is well worth trialling this service with the free 30 day trial and even their monthly service only comes to £12.99 a month, making it one of the cheapest on the market. Certainly worth a go and is one of the easiest online services to utilise.

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Overview

We joined and used this service just so we could share our Score Matters review with you, we used all their tools and features plus we even assessed their customer service.

This credit report service has an artillery of reporting tools that could help you improve your credit score.

Not only can you get a free credit score check with their ten-day trial but they have ways to protect you from Dark Web theft, block trackers and potential harm online when surfing the web and other ways to provide a thorough score.

Once you have signed up you will be able to see who’s been tracking you and how vulnerable your identity is, these experts talk you through it and even if you have no experience or understanding of this process, they will fill you in with al the details.

Summary

What We Liked:

• Site is easy to use
• Plenty of information and data

We Didn't Like:

• Can only use support until 5:30pm

Scores Matter

You can enjoy a full, detailed report at Scores Matter, so why not try it out today?

Free £14.99

Get It Here

In This Review

How to Sign Up

Like many of these websites, it’s very easy to sign-up. In-fact it’s the first thing you see when landing on their page, but the great thing is, you can join their free ten-day trial.

This means you’re eligible for a free credit report and if you like their service you can keep it running as they constantly update your score and ways you can improve it. You can find more details on other services such as My Credit Monitor by taking a look at our other reviews.

If you wish to sign-up to Scores Matter UK then follow these steps:

1. Go to “Start Now” and input your name and e-mail address
2. You will then receive confirmation and can finalise your free trial details
3. You will receive a credit report amongst their other features
4. It takes just seconds!

It really is that easy and you will also be privy to their other features too, so use their free trial but do bear in mind that you will need to input your payment details and if you exceed the trial period you will then pay £19.95 per month.

This shouldn’t be an issue as we explain why it’s worth the money to continue this rolling contract.

Depth of Information

You’d be foolish to think this is the only option when it comes to getting a UK credit report, there’s so many websites out there that offer this service and we have reviewed many of the most recognised ones.

But they all seem to cover different ground- this is a positive thing because it means we can pick the service that most suits our needs. See our UK Credit Ratings review for more details on another good brand.

Score Matters have access to some very large databases and a lot of other information meaning that they can offer a lot of depth to their service especially when it comes to technology and fraud prevention.

So what do you get? You’ll obviously receive the credit report but it also comes with helpful advice and other features too.

Overall their report is somewhat to the point but there’s some great advice in there and they’re always at the other end of the phone, ready to take your call.

What Affects My Credit Score?

A number of things can affect your credit score in the UK. Their team tackle this question in the FAQs, just highlighting the things that directly affect your score and also three categories of information that your report will include, as it comes with account information, address details and financial connections.

But regardless of who you choose to utilise for your report, here are some things that directly affect it:

• Payment History – This includes mortgages, loans, credit cards, phone contracts and more. If you have these and have paid on-time it will go some way to helping you rack up a positive score, if you have had late payments then it will be detrimental as will negative finance such as bankruptcies.
• Amount Owed – If you owe a lot of money out as it stands then it goes without saying that it’s hard for lenders to consider you. This comes down to your credit limits and how much you owe out. Score Matters can help you calculate this and even break it down. Read our credit report guide and advice here.
• Duration – The duration that you have had credit makes a difference to your score, this is why it is beneficial to get credit as soon as you can and ensure regular, on-time payments.
• Recent Credit – Recent credit or rejected credit will show up and directly affect your rating.
• Other – They highlight how other aspects are taken into account and believe it or not, many customers like ourselves easily overlook them and that’s why it’s vital to have experts in your corner.

Service & Features

The industry is gradually getting more and more complex and harder for a run of the mill user to understand, why’s this? Well- it seems to be down to technology and the shift in how we apply for loans, credit cards and pay for other things.

You’ve guessed it, the common denominator in all these areas, is the Internet, our online activity is now playing a part in whether lenders will allow us credit. This includes social media, browsing and more, it seems rather intrusive doesn’t it and that’s why we were so keen to report back on Scores Matter.

Scores Matter seem to have fully functional software that can not only conclude our report accurately but also play their part in deterring fraud.

They protect your identity and also have the browser tracker analysis sure to help you understand what activities could make a difference to lender, this is an area we felt was very insightful and was something we hadn’t received at most other websites.

The Score Matters features include:

• Credit scores and ratings
• Dark Web theft report
• Account score
• Browser tracker analysis

Dispute Process and File Correction

There are some cases were customers like yourself feel unjustly rejected, if you feel that your score was inaccurate then you can appeal.

With that said, you should make sure that you have grounds for appeal, Score Matters ask you to contact the lender first and they may accept that it is inaccurate.

If your score or amount owed could have been correct within the last four to six weeks, then there’s no reason to contact them as it can take this long to update.

If your lender is claiming that they are correct, it could be worth contacting Scores Matter and asking their team to help you with a dispute and file correction.

How Often is their Data Updated?

It’s usually the same for each and every customer, it should never take longer than 12 weeks and in most cases no longer than six weeks. Your data will be updated every four to six weeks.

Ease of Use

This has elements of the service that expand further than most people’s knowledge but despite this they talk you through the process and make it easy to understand. They actually enlighten you and bring to your attention the other factors that may be decreasing your chances of credit.

It is very easy to use and the reports don’t overdo it, they remain simple whilst providing a thorough and accurate report with numerous intricacies.

Safety and Security

This is a must when utilising this type of business and they stress how meticulous they are when dealing with sensitive data. They are certified and don’t allow employees unlimited access to your files, meaning they can only take a look at financial history and other personal detail when they need to.

They also ensure strong passwords, a two-factor authentication and SSL to keep you safe and protected. This means your account is completely safe on all fronts and it’s not hard to maintain your profile with Scores Matter. Another good one to try out would be our review of Equifax which gives you all the details about their service.

It’s a completely safe website that take many precautions on both your username, password and e-mails as well as securing you from fraud on your credit along the way.

How Much is It?

You get a free ten-day trial but once this has passed they will start taking £19.95 a month for the complete programme. You will get all the services and features reported to you and you can also call upon them for help with disputes or understanding elements of finance that you have no clue about.

It’s a service that’s well worth it and overall we were very pleased. Existing members can get help and support by calling their contact number on 0808-189-3005. You can also post a letter to: Scores Matter, IMT Technologies Limited, 3rd Floor, 207 Regent Street, London, W1B 3HH, England.

About Scores Matter

Scores Matter is a trading name of IMT Technologies Limited, which is not a credit reference agency or debt advisor. IMT Technologies Ltd is a credit broker (not a lender). The loans that are offered depend on the lenders own acceptance requirements.

About IMT Technologies Limited

IMT is a company registered in England and Wales. The office is registered at 3rd Floor, 207 Regent Street London, W1B 3HH. They operate on a membership programmes that allows users to gain access to various tools. Users can gain credit reports by Callcredit Consumer Limited and more.

IMT is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and holds permission for credit information services.

Cancellations

It is easy to opt out of Scores Matter. Simply visit the site, scroll to the bottom and click ‘Opt Out’. You then need to put in your email and you can then start the cancellation process.

Our Verdict

They’re lacking a strong social media profile- it works well but isn’t on the same level that we’ve seen elsewhere. Credit Angel has a much stronger social media presence, which may draw in more people.

With that said, not every service features this and it should not be expected. But with the high-spec level of analysis this company brings, it seems odd that it’s missing.

With that said, this is an ideal way of using all the latest tools and technology for a thorough check and credit report without any complications. They combine the best technology and simplicity.

We definitely recommend this service, and it’s features such as Browser Tracker Analysis and Dark Web Protection are ones that are rarely seen elsewhere.

They highlight why they are so important and once you receive them you won’t want to go back to the plain old credit score check. They get a big yes from us as this service seems to be the real deal!

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