Credit checks for car insurance

Fiona_is_confused

Just seeking some advice, my car insurance was up for renewal last June, so I signed up to a comparison site so that I could get the best deal.

I am now trying to get a mortgage, (second mortgage) and my credit rating is low (1/5 score of 572)- my financial advisor is investigating at the moment, but I am panicking, we had a brief conversation and look, I have paid three late payments on my next store card - (I know stupid), but apart from that my mortgage payments, loan payments, utility payments are all up to date. However to cut a long story short I checked my search history and have 18 car insurance searches the purpose is deemed as "general search", but what I am confused about is that I did go on the site last year, June 2012, but these searches are this year June 2013 and I did not contact any of the companies and request for the searches this year as I had already decided to stick with my current company.

So my questions are; Does this effect my credit and if no what else could it be (apart from next) If yes how can I change it? How can I improve my credit rating in a short space of time as I love this house and would like to get an agreed mortgage.

Thanks for any advice

DevCoder

Stop worrying about the score, it means nothing, lenders don't see it, they have their own criteria.

18 searches may appear a bit extreme but if they are all on the same day for car insurance firms then the lender will realise what it is.

You can even advise the lender during your application.

Fiona_is_confused

Thanks for the reply - do you have any tips about what lenders may be looking for in particular?

matttye

They are quotation searches, not credit searches.

Lenders don't get to see quotation searches.

happy_bunny_2

Is that one month late markers three times? Were they recent?

And yes, ignore the scores they are meaningless drivel as each lender has specific criteria.

dgtazzman

The insurance quotation searches won't influence your mortgage search, as said, lenders won't even see them. If they did, 70% of the UK wouldn't be getting a mortgage as some of the comparison sites do a load of searches for a single quotation.

If those 3 missed payments are in fast succession, I'd be very worried about that and no, that's not something you're going to get a quick fix for, will probably take a year or 2 of good behavior to make lenders turn a blind eye at them.

InsideInsurance

Lenders will see some of them as some aren't logged as the basic soft search but as an insurance search however it would be exceptionally improbable that a lender would decide you shouldn't get a loan or mortgage because you've happened to had a quote for some form of insurance from DL

datlex

Do not believe these searches will not impact your rating. I know from personal experience the rate after searches is lower than before with no other changes. (I check out rates a couple of months ahead to check whether my savings will cover it or whether I'll need to pay monthly)

Fiona_is_confused

Thanks for the advice, happy _bunny to answer your questions it was one in Jan, one in May and June. I know stupid... it because I pay online, usually very good at remembering but dropped the ball, I have now set up a direct debit, some lenders apparently don'y worry about "store directory", just keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks again