Frequently asked questions about Finder Credit Score

Questions about your Finder Credit Score

• What is a good credit score?

  In the UK, there are 3 main credit rating agencies who have different ranges for scoring your credit score. Because of this, there isn’t one number which determines a ‘good’ credit score, though with all 3, the higher the number, the better the credit score. To learn more, read our full guide.

  Experian scores from 0 to 999 with 881 being a ‘good’ score. Equifax scores from 0 to 1000 with 531 being a ‘good’ score. Transunion runs its scores from 0 to 710, with 604 being a ‘good’ score.

• What is a bad credit score?

  There is no universal score for having a ‘bad credit. In the UK, there are 3 main credit rating agencies who have different ranges for scoring your credit score. To learn more, read our guide on bad credit ratings.

  For Experian, a score between 0 and 720 signifies that you have a ‘Very poor’ or a ‘Poor’ rating. Equifax says that a score between 0 and 438 is ‘Poor’. Finally, a score between 0 and 565 on Transunion is ‘Very poor’ or ‘Poor’. If you’re looking to boost your credit score, we have a few helpful tips.

• What does the score number mean?

  Your credit score is a numeric representation of how you’ve used credit in the past. The higher the number the better, and the easier it’ll be to borrow money at low interest rates. For prospective lenders, it’s a key consideration when they’re deciding whether to accept your application for credit. Your credit report, which is made up of all the factors that contribute to your score, is recorded by credit reference agencies.

• Why is this score different from one I saw elsewhere?

  In the UK, there are three main credit reference agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) with different scoring systems. Finder shows you your Equifax credit score. If you have a good Equifax credit score, you’ll almost certainly have a good TransUnion or Experian credit score, too, but because they use different scales, the exact number will differ.

• How do you check your credit score?

  You can check your credit score using Finder’s credit score checker. It’s free to use and won’t impact your credit score!

• Why has my credit score gone down?

  There are a number of reasons why your credit score has been affected and since gone down in rating. You may have:

  • Missed or made a late payment
  • Taken out a new line of credit
  • Increased your credit spending
  • Settling a financial disagreement in court
  • Moving addresses too regularly

• Why don't I have a credit score?

  There are a number of reasons why you might not have a credit score, we have listed a few below:

  • You’re too young
  • You’ve never used credit
  • You’re new to the UK
  • You’ve not used credit in a long time
  • You’ve used few credit accounts

  For more detail, read our full guide.

• What credit score do you need for a mortgage?

  If you’re looking to buy a house, you may have seen that your credit score can affect getting a mortgage. In the UK, there’s no set score you need to have to buy a house, although mortgage lenders will take your credit score into consideration when deciding to lend to you. To learn more, read our full guide.

  You can check your credit score using Finder for free and without impacting your credit score.

• What is the average credit score in the UK?

  The average UK credit score with Experian is 759, Equifax is 383 and with TransUnion it’s 610.

• Does checking my score affect it?

  Many companies who provide credit score checks, including Finder, run a “soft” search to check your credit score; this does not impact your score.

  However, when applying for a credit card or loan, a lender will perform a “hard” check’ on your credit report, this will initially cause a dip in your credit score.

• How frequently does my credit report get updated?

  In the UK, there is currently no set frequency for how often your credit report is updated. Some reporters, such as Equifax, update it every 4 to 6 weeks.

• Why is my credit score different on different sites?

  The UK has 3 main credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Each has a different rating system with differing rating tiers and maximum scores, but ultimately, they collect the same information to give you a credit score.

• What is a credit score?

  A credit score is a tool used by lenders to see if you qualify for a specific loan, mortgage or credit card. The higher the credit score, the less risk you pose to the lender, making it easier to be accepted for loans, credit cards and mortgages.

• What affects my credit score?

  There are many factors which affect your credit score, including:

  • Borrowing credit
  • Paying bills on time
  • How much you spend on a credit card
  • Registering to vote
  • Moving too frequently
  • Having little to no credit history

• Why does my credit score matter?

  Having a good credit score makes it easier not only to get a loan / mortgage / credit card, but also opens doors to getting great deals, such as lower interest. If you have a poor credit score, it can make it harder to be accepted for a loan / mortgage / credit card.

• How can I improve my score?

  Improving your credit score will help your chances of being accepted for credit cards, mortgages and loans. There are many ways which may help build your credit score, including:

  • Registering on the electoral roll
  • Paying the bills on time
  • Reducing existing debt
  • Lowering your credit utilisation

  To learn more tips, read our full guide.

Questions about Finder’s credit reports

Finder’s credit score and reports are free to access. You can see what’s been recorded in your credit file and learn whether it’s helping or hurting your score and your ability to borrow money.

• I've spotted something I don't recognise in my credit report

  If it relates to a specific bank or lender, then it’s quickest to contact the company directly and ask what information it has reported to credit reference agencies (and when it did this). Alternatively, you can let one of our team know – just click the blue button below. We’ll submit your case to Equifax, which is the credit reference agency we’ve partnered with.

  If you see a soft search you don’t recognise, it could be the automated check that Finder runs to get you a monthly update on how your score’s doing. It will be done around the time you receive this update email. The search will say “FINDER.COM” and the search type will state “Creditfile Request”. Soft searches don’t affect your credit score.

• I've spotted a mistake in my credit report

  Mistakes happen. The good news is that when it comes to your credit report, you can set the record straight. If you want to dispute something you’ve seen in your Finder Credit Report, you can let one of our team know (just click the blue button below), and we’ll submit your case to Equifax (the credit reference agency we’ve partnered with). Then, while Equifax is disputing the matter on your behalf, you may choose to add a “Notice of Correction” to your credit report (max. 200 words), which will explain to any prospective lenders that an item in your credit record is under dispute.

• Some of my utility/phone payments aren't in my report

  Not all utility providers report payments to all credit reference agencies. Utility payments don’t typically contribute to your credit score. But if you missed multiple utility payments, then your provider might take action which could lead to your score being harmed. You can contact your utility provider directly to ask what info it reports to credit reference agencies.

• My electoral roll info is missing

  Being on the electoral roll helps your credit score. Make sure you’ve registered to vote at your current address, provided you’re eligible to do so.

  Once you’ve registered, it can take up to eight weeks for this to be reflected in your credit report. Your local authority will add you to the roll and then let credit reference agencies know in their monthly update. Please keep in mind that it can take four to eight weeks for them to send this information and for it to be updated on your credit report.

  If it’s not there after eight weeks, you should contact your local authority directly to check they’ve added you to the roll and sent the necessary updates for your credit report. If they have, then let one of our team know (click the blue button below), and we’ll submit your case to Equifax (the credit reference agency that we’ve partnered with). Then, while Equifax disputes the matter on your behalf, you may choose to add a “Notice of Correction” to your credit report (max. 200 words), which will explain to any prospective lenders that this aspect of your credit record is under dispute.

• My electoral roll info is incorrect

  Being on the electoral roll at your current address helps your credit score. When you move house, you’ll need to register to vote at your new address, via your local council, provided you’re eligible to do so.

  Once you’ve done this, it can take up to eight weeks to be reflected in your credit report. Your local authority will add/update your details on the electoral roll and then let credit reference agencies know in their monthly update. Please keep in mind that it can take four to eight weeks for them to send this information and for it to be updated on your credit report.

  If the correct info isn’t showing in your report after eight weeks, you should contact your local authority directly to check they’ve added/updated your details on the electoral roll and sent the necessary updates for your credit report. If they have, then let one of our team know (click the blue button below), and we’ll submit your case to Equifax (the credit reference agency that we’ve partnered with). Then, while Equifax disputes the matter on your behalf, you may choose to add a “Notice of Correction” to your credit report (max. 200 words), which will explain to any prospective lenders that this aspect of your credit record is under dispute.

• My exact address isn’t available

  When you open a credit score account with Finder, our partner, Equifax, sends through your credit report data, including addresses it has for you.

  What to do if your address isn’t showing in your Finder account:

  1. Check Royal Mail’s Postcode Finder.
  2. If you’re not able to find your address, you’ll need to ask Royal Mail to add it for you.
  3. If you can find your full address/Royal Mail has now added it to its database, let us know by selecting “Ask our support team”, below.
  4. Once Equifax adds your address, it takes about 4 weeks for it to appear on our system.

  If you haven’t successfully registered with Finder yet, once you’re able to select your address in our drop-down menu, you can try registering again.

  Armed Forces or commercial address
  To access your credit report and score, please use a private residential address if you can. Equifax may not be able to match an armed forces address or a commercial address to a credit report.

• How can I update the address shown on my credit report?

  Unfortunately, you can’t change your address on Finder. The best way to update your address is to contact your banks, lenders and local council directly, providing them with your most up to date information. We’ll then receive any new changes from Equifax and update your report accordingly – it’s important to note that this takes around 4 weeks to appear on our system.

• How do I sign up when I don’t have more than 3 years at a UK address?

  Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do this right now. We need at least 3 years of your address history to check your identity and get your credit report details from Equifax.

  Please come back to us when you can show that you’ve been in the UK for 3 years.

• It’s telling me to wait 24 hours, what should I do?

  We have a security system in place which will freeze your account if there are too many unsuccessful sign up attempts in your name in a short period of time.

  You’ll need to make sure you wait the full 24 hours before attempting to log in again.

  Once you’re back in, be sure to carefully check all of the information you’ve added. Remember to review your bank statements and electoral roll information to help you get through the registration process.

  If you’re stuck on this, ask one of our team by filling out the ‘Ask our support team’ form below.

• What are the security questions?

  We work with Equifax, our partner credit reference agency, to generate your credit report.

  To help us find you, there might be some questions about some of your financial information. We’re unable to indicate which answers to choose, but remember to review your financial history and your electoral roll information to help you with this.

  Remember that you can choose “None of the above” if you don’t recognise a question.

  If you get locked out of your account, you’ll need to wait for 24 hours before trying again – this is so that we can protect your credit report information.

• I haven’t received a verification email

  If you’ve registered your information but haven’t received a verification email yet, please check your spam/junk email folders in case the email has accidentally ended up there.

  If not, please contact us via our “Ask our support team” form below and we’ll be more than happy to help.

• Can I print, download or share my credit report?

  If you need to save any of your credit report information, you can ‘print screen’ or screenshot the information that you need. You can then save this as an image or paste this into a document so you can print this off.

• What if I’m not found by Equifax?

  If you’re not found by Equifax, we will be unable to validate your identity and locate your report details.

  When you become ID Validated, this means that we have matched you to your record and you will be unable to make changes to your personal information yourself.

  If you spot an error please raise a dispute so that you can get this changed with Equifax directly.

Questions about your Finder account

• Is it free to access my credit score and report through Finder?

  Yes! Accessing your score and report through Finder is free. It’s not a free trial, it’s a free service. Permanently.

• How do I delete my Finder account?

  If you’ve decided you no longer want free access to your credit score and report through Finder, or any other benefits of being a Finder member, you can delete your account at any time. Just log in and go to your profile and choose “Settings”. Scroll to the end of the settings page and choose “Delete Account”. That’s it.

Written by

Chris Lilly

Head of publishing

Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio

Chris's expertise

Chris has written 602 Finder guides across topics including:

• Loans & credit cards
• Building credit
• Financial health