Experian Credit File Question

trev79

Hey everyone!

Fairly new here to the posting element, but have followed MSE for a while. I'm looking to be posting more now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel!

I am in a financial mess that looks be sorting itself now, but as things were bad my credit score was in the pits. I've paid off the debts via a consolidation loan, so my credit file should start to tidy itself up. I have late payments on there, and I don't know if it's worth seeing if I can get some of those removed by re-establishing a good relationship with banks, credit lenders etc.

Anyhow, my main question is this. If I cancel my Experian (as it's £14.99 a month now), can I still view my credit file? I'm hanging on to see my score go up, but I don't want to keep forking out the money every month. Initially I set it up to monitor it. Is there any other options to keep an eye on things without the cost?

Thanks everyone!

sfax

Yes, google "experian 2" and click link for statutory report. Costs £2 per report and is all you need. Paying £15/month for a subscription is crazy.

trev79

sfax wrote: »

Yes, google "experian 2" and click link for statutory report. Costs £2 per report and is all you need. Paying £15/month for a subscription is crazy.

Thanks so much sfax. So I can do that whenever and how many times I like?

Dean2013

Hi trev

The Experian Credit score is useless, and will never be used by any lender.

To get your credit report you can pay £2 for a statutory report, or join noddle for your free credit report.

trev79

Thanks everyone!

I better be cancelling that straight away!

sfax

trev79 wrote: »

So I can do that whenever and how many times I like?

Yes but little point getting it more than once a month as credit agreements are generally updated monthly

Noddle is good but tends to be a little out of date and is rarely searched for hard credit searches; it's used more for ID and AML purposes and also insurance quote searches

Worth getting Experian and Equifax £2 reports at least once a year and always just before making a new application. Use Noddle (CallCredit) as a cross-check and a free check that no-one has committed ID fraud with your details.

sfax

sfax wrote: »

Noddle is good but tends to be a little out of date

As an example, today's Experian report for me shows my Amex updated to 2 June 2013. Today's Noddle shows the same account as last updated 30 April 2013.

That said, I just looked at my other six credit cards and they were all updated on Noddle and Experian at about the same time, some more recently on Noddle. Maybe they've improved.

Thrugelmir

trev79 wrote: »

and I don't know if it's worth seeing if I can get some of those removed by re-establishing a good relationship with banks, credit lenders etc.

Unfortunately not if it's an accurate record of your account.

Rather than waste £15 a month. Put into a savings account.

Time will heal your credit profile. Along with a good record from now on.

trev79

Thanks everyone. Cancelled Experian without fuss! :j

Experian_company_representative

You can order a £2 report from any of the three agencies as often as you wish.

James

fuzzgun19

I've previously had the Experian and Equifax 'free trials' over the last couple of years.. then cancelled

Can I just take out a new Experian or Equifax account for the free trial (instead of paying the £2 every time I want to check it)?

I'm already with Noddle.