Credit Score Check
I can now check my credit score by doing a free credit score check online. My free Experian credit report gives me peace of mind that my credit rating is still good.
If anything in your report is out of date or gives a misleading picture of your willingness or ability to repay a loan, mortgage or credit card, it can affect your chances of getting the best deals. It can even lead to outright rejection by lenders. For example, you may have separated from a partner who has since run up debts but, because you have still got a joint account, his or her payment behaviour could be affecting you. You won’t see their credit data on your report but you will find a note of any financial association. Or you may have shopped around for the best offer, without realising your enquiries have been registered as multiple applications. These should show as quotation searches. If they are down as applications, lenders could think you are desperate for money, have over-extended yourself or even that a fraud is being planned.
You could even discover applications and credit accounts in your name that you did not ask for. In that case, your identity may have been used fraudulently.
The easy way to check your credit report is to log onto CreditExpert, the credit monitoring and identity protection service from Experian. If you find anything you disagree with or would like to clarify the circumstances surrounding an entry, CreditExpert will help you to put the record straight.
Once you get your free copy of your credit report, which will be within a matter of minutes online, you need to check all of the sections for accuracy. If anything seens incorrect, tell Experian and they will investigate.
This credit report is going to serve a two-fold purpose for you.
Firstly, you can establish that nobody else has assumed your identity, a common crime these days. If someone were to apply for credit using your identity then that application will be recorded in some manner within your credit file.
Secondly, if anything appears to be incorrect on your credit report then by identifying it you have an opportunity to put it right before you make any future applications for credit.
But that’s not all. This is a very powerful tool that allows you to be pro-active and keep tabs on your credit worthiness. You can subscribe to the CreditExpert Monitoring Service and opt to receive E-mail and text alerts for early fraud detection and get access to Freephone advice from credit reference specialists. It gives me peace of mind knowing that I can check my credit rating at anytime of day or night.
An easy way to see your report is to join CreditExpert, the online credit monitoring and identity protection service from Experian. Click here for a free copy of your Experian credit report today.
