equifax credit score of 378

sazaboo

My score is 378, (fair) according to equifax, it's all showing settled except for my bankruptcy in 2011. Does that sound right? Can I improve it without applying for more credit?
Cheers
Sarah

alastairq

If this 'score' really is important to you, then there are many ways to raise it.

Simply paying ordinary bills like mobile phone contracts will show....applying for one of the sub-prime credit cards can be useful [it is one of their selling points]....

Vanquis is one such card [operated by good ol' Provident..anyone recall the Provvy?]

They typically have a murderous rate of interest attached, but they pride themselves in accepting folk with shot records.

The trick is, to use the visa card to pay for small, essential payments each month, that you normally budget for anyway [petrol, for example?]....and pay the balance off in full by the Due Date.

This avoids attracting interest, and will show on all CRAs as nice green ticks.

longtermplanner

Can I improve it without applying for more credit?

Not really because the way your score improves is to start showing a good recent history of managing credit to start to outweigh the problems in the past.

The sub prime credit cards are as alastairq says the place to start because they are so desperate for mugs (sorry, customers) that they are most likely to accept you. Set it up to automatically pay the bill in full every month. Not only will this mean you don't pay their extortionate interest, but it will also mean that you credit report is showing you with unused credit, suggesting that you aren't having money problems.

Pay it automatically because at this point just one late payment can really set back your credit repair.

sazaboo

Thanks, I have some credit that is being cleared every month -car finance. I'll look at vanquis, they send me letters all the time anyway. Cheers