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Last update : September 2010
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How to order your Credit File for £2
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Page Summary:
Our personal credit files are so important because a good rating gives us financial options, ie if we need credit at competitive rates we'll get it. This page shows you how and where to get hold of your credit file. |
| Your credit file is not held by the government or any financial institution.
Instead, there are 3 companies called Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) which are responsible for collecting and collating this information, which includes such details as -
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- Personal details - name, address, age, sex etc
- Who your credit accounts are with (credit cards, loans, mortgage, mobile phone contracts, overdrafts etc)
- The amount of money you owe (if any)
- Your past payment history - have you been on time or late paying your bills/statements etc
- Any County Court Judgments (CCJs) or Defaults
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| The 3 agencies are - |
- Experian
- Equifax, and
- Call Credit
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| All 3 should hold similar information regarding you and your finances, however mistakes can easily be made such as a slightly wrong address or showing money owed on a loan or credit card which in fact has been paid off.
If you spot these or any other mistakes contact the company in question and ask them to correct matters.
We have published a free report on exactly how to audit and check your Credit File making sure it's 100% correct across all 3 CRAs. Failure to correct any mistakes means your credit rating is never going to be as strong or as clean as it could be.
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| Which CRA is the best |
| They're all much of the same but personally I prefer the look and ease of use of Experian. I've also been impressed with their telephone support.
To get hold of your Credit File there are 3 options -
- Request it via letter or online form
- By phone, or
- Sign up to an expensive monthly plan
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1. Request by letter or online form - Cost: £2
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2. By phone - Cost: £2
- Call Experian on 0844 481 8000
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3. Sign up to a monthly plan - Cost: around £6 - £8 per month
By law the credit reporting agencies all have to send you your credit file within 7 days and for a maximum cost of £2.
However, if you go to their websites their main promotions are for a free credit report if you sign up to a monthly plan (it's possible to cancel this within the first month and not get charged).
Is the monthly plan worth the money? I don't think so for most people because your credit rating will change little from month to month if -
- Your financial situation is stable
- You're not applying for credit all the time, and
- Bills are paid on time
However, if you're trying to improve your credit rating it might be worthwhile to take a subscription for 6-12 months. Then as the months progress you can monitor it to see if the positives steps you're taking are paying off. Note that a subscription can be cancelled in any month.
Tip - How to get your credit file for FREE
- Many people sign up for the monthly service because the first month is free
- They then instantly download their credit file
- But before the month is up they cancel and therefore do not have to pay
- Sign up and more details
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FREE REPORT - How to Audit Your Credit File
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Read more in the Credit File section:
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