Credit file & ratings

Hi! This is the discussion thread for the What credit scores really mean guide. Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. Thanks folks,

Hi all! This is the discussion thread for the What credit scores really mean guide. Well, what does your credit score really mean ?. By Martin If you've paid to get a credit score from one of the credit agencies, how reliable is it? We run through the truth about credit scores. I’ve just found out that my credit score has…

Useful links to MoneySavingExpert.com guides * Top tips to build your credit score * How to check your credit report for Free * Credit Club * Build your credit history * Student credit scoring * Should I get a loan if I have a bad credit score? 💡 If there's a link you think we should include here, please send me a message!

What is income for the purposes of a credit report? Would it include savings which are guaranteed a capital gain over the next few years, such as many short dated gilts at present? Does it include savings in lower risk index funds in which the income is reinvested? Some peoples 'earnings' are dominated by these type of…

CIFAS identity-theft marker still unresolved after months — has anyone experienced this? I’m looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with a CIFAS marker following identity theft. In my case, a Lendable/Zable-related identity-theft dispute resulted in a CIFAS False Identity marker being recorded on 17 November 2025. I…

I’m so stuck with this problem and I don’t know what to do :( History: In June 2023 I ordered a phone and contract via Affordable Mobiles, with O2. The next day I received the phone but returned it straight away because it was the wrong colour (if only I had known then the problems this would have caused!!!). Let’s call…

Hi, Can anyone please confirm if these are correct and legit Experian contact number: 0344 481 8000 0800 013 8888 I need to speak to a real person. I only have a free account and there's no web form appears and no contact number/email appear when I select Contact Us. Google search provide some email addresses but worried…

Just read this statement in an article in The Times: HMRC is looking at working with credit reference agencies to obtain data about taxpayer income and expenditure to assess how much someone can afford to pay each month. HMRC has previously said that it was considering a rule that no more than 50 per cent of a customer’s…

Hi all, I'm in a pickle. I recently applied for a personal loan - I need a new car and don't quite have the funds to pay cash. I didn't want a finance deal through a seller, and HSBC were offering 5.9%. I applied online thinking it wouldn't be a problem… rejected. Turns out I have 3 missed payments of £13 listed on my…

Hi all, I switched form E.ON Next to Outfox Energy back in June, last week I received a text out of the blue from E.ON stating that if I didn't pay the outstanding amount on my account I would default and receive a mark on my credit file. This was the first time I'd had any correspondence from E.ON regarding an outstanding…

My mother died two years ago. She owned a buy to let, which as her executor I had to manage until it could be sold. I've recently checked my credit score which used to be perfect, and it's gone down by more than 20% and that appears to be because that property, which was sold six months ago, remains linked to me for the…

Clearscore says that using more than 70% of your available credit is a bad sign. Does that still apply, if you pay it off immediately, ie. before the statement arrives?

I recently received an alert from Experian showing that Percayso Inform Ltd had carried out a hard search on my credit file following an insurance quotation. I contacted Experian, and they informed me that this is apparently a known issue affecting some Percayso insurance quotation searches. Apparently, some searches that…

A company who I have not worked for, for over 3 years, has out of the blue sent me a letter saying that they were hacked in October 2025, and my Employee Number, my Full Name, my Address, my Bank Account Number, and my Bank Sort Code have been stolen. I am kind of surprised, that the only advice I seem to be getting from…

Don't realise how messing up your credit rating can effect you life. My credit rating was very poor due to stupid things I did. I matured and came to Martins money and followed his advice. Went from very poor to good. I have three catalogues I use to get small things but pay them off. I have two credit cards Zable with a…

I received an email yesterday saying that there had been a change to my credit report so I logged in to find out what it was. There was a line saying the following. "A new opus public utility account will be added to your next report" I thought this strange since I haven't opened any new accounts recently. I had to Google…

Due to an unforeseen circumstance, I entered a Debt Management Plan (DMP) for my Nationwide loan in September 2025. I have always made payments on time and have never had any issues with the arrangement. This year, my partner and I received some unexpected funds, so we began the process of applying for a Shared Ownership…

I have received a "Notice of Enforcement" from Excel for a person of a similar name to myself. The notice relates to council tax on a property that I have had no association with since 2010. (when I separated) NB. it belonged to my ex-wife, who purchased it in 1996, and sold it c.2016. The Council Tax liability order on…

Hello, I had a CCJ against me earlier this year, due to be removed from my credit file after a successful N244 as parking related CCJ sent to the wrong address. I thought this had already been removed and applied for a £5 pm new sim only contract with Smarty, which they conducted a hard search x2, Experian believes and…

Evening! I was looking up a companies "company policy documents" and they stated that they may, in certain instances – notably in compliance of Money Laundering regulations – need to request personal data from credit reference agencies or similar. In particular they use SmartSearch. found hear…

I received an email from ACI at the end of July 2026 chasing a debt £546.62. Apparently from a failed direct debit from 2023. Which has subsequently mounted up, I assume I contacted ACI and the address it related to was not mine and I have never had a mobile account with EE. However, they did have my btinternet.com email…

applying for a mortgage around April next year. I currently have 2 credit cards Lloyds with 8.5k limit- haven’t used it for months M and S 6k limit use monthly and pay off I also have a chase bank account I never use. Should I close the Lloyds CC and chase account? Would this look better when applying for a mortgage?

Hi All, I received a letter today saying we ' we need to make sure the information we hold of you is up to date so we can access full range of products and services. This is also to meet UK legal and regulatory obligations. I have an empty current account, however my mortgage is also with them. They're asking for a lot of…