🗳️ ELECTION 2024: THE MSE LEADERS' DEBATE Got a burning question you want us to ask the party leaders ahead of the general election? Post them on our dedicated Forum board where you can see and upvote other users' questions, or submit your suggestions via this form. Please note that the Forum's rules on avoiding general political discussion still apply across all boards.

Experian - from 911 to 883 after clearing debt???

Options
my credit score has been 911 (good) for the last few months, while i had 4 x 0% BT credit cards open with about 20k of debt on them, paying monthly a little over the minimum amount by DD. In the last 4 weeks I've cleared all 4 of them completely, and closed them down fully in preperation for applying for a larger mortgage. I checked today and my score is now 883 (fair), so it has gone down?

Is this normal please? Only new alerts are:

1- Your borrowing on installment credit has changed in the last 12 months
2- The recent number and/or type of searches on your credit report has increased

I can only think the following:
1 - Surely my borrowing has dropped drastically, it should go up??
2 - Could this new search me my mortgage application, that i got approved in principle this week??

Comments

  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    britishboy wrote: »
    I checked today and my score is now 883 (fair), so it has gone down?

    Given time it will rise again. Sudden changes will be highlighted.
  • YorkshireBoy
    YorkshireBoy Posts: 31,541 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    britishboy wrote: »
    In the last 4 weeks I've cleared all 4 of them completely, and closed them down fully...
    Are these accounts showing as zero balance and settled on your credit report?...because it often takes 4-8 weeks (and sometimes more) for information to be updated.


    Or did you just concentrate on the score, rather than the data behind it?
    Is this normal please?
    Sounds like you've been paying Experian an awful lot of money over the last few months. Time to make them earn it, so ask them this question. Then come back and tell us what they said?
  • The_Boss
    The_Boss Posts: 5,850 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    britishboy wrote: »
    my credit score has been 911 (good) for the last few months, while i had 4 x 0% BT credit cards open with about 20k of debt on them, paying monthly a little over the minimum amount by DD. In the last 4 weeks I've cleared all 4 of them completely, and closed them down fully in preperation for applying for a larger mortgage. I checked today and my score is now 883 (fair), so it has gone down?

    Is this normal please? Only new alerts are:

    1- Your borrowing on installment credit has changed in the last 12 months
    2- The recent number and/or type of searches on your credit report has increased

    I can only think the following:
    1 - Surely my borrowing has dropped drastically, it should go up??
    2 - Could this new search me my mortgage application, that i got approved in principle this week??

    The Experian "credit score" is just a random meaningless number that means nothing in the real world and fluctuates for odd reasons. Don't pay any attention to it.
  • thebritishbloke
    Options
    The_Boss wrote: »
    The Experian "credit score" is just a random meaningless number that means nothing in the real world and fluctuates for odd reasons. Don't pay any attention to it.
    Also, don't pay for it.
    Credit 'Score' - Don't buy the credit 'score' that Experian, Equifax and Noddle want to sell you. It's an arbitrary number that means nothing when it comes to applying for credit.

    ALWAYS HAVE A DIRECT DEBIT SET UP FOR THE MINIMUM PAYMENT ON YOUR CREDIT CARDS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU PLAN TO LOGIN AND PAY EACH MONTH.
  • The_Boss
    The_Boss Posts: 5,850 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    ^ yep, very important.
  • longwalks1
    longwalks1 Posts: 3,751 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    Dont pay for the monthly subscription, the £9.99 a month?
  • thebritishbloke
    Options
    britishboy wrote: »
    Dont pay for the monthly subscription, the £9.99 a month?
    Nobody needs to have 24/7 access to their updated credit reports, and there's literally no point in paying for the score given that it is a meaningless number.

    If you want your reports, you can just pay the £2 statutory fee whenever you want to get it, you shouldn't need to check it more than once or twice a year.
    Credit 'Score' - Don't buy the credit 'score' that Experian, Equifax and Noddle want to sell you. It's an arbitrary number that means nothing when it comes to applying for credit.

    ALWAYS HAVE A DIRECT DEBIT SET UP FOR THE MINIMUM PAYMENT ON YOUR CREDIT CARDS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU PLAN TO LOGIN AND PAY EACH MONTH.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 11 Election 2024: The MSE Leaders' Debate
  • 343.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 450K Spending & Discounts
  • 236K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 609.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.4K Life & Family
  • 248.7K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards