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By Rachel Preece
Staff Writer, 7 August 2008
Free Credit Report Access
Experian - 30 day free trial.
Equifax - Free access offered to all Capital One credit card holders.
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Q. What is my credit score? How can I obtain my credit report?
A. Your credit score is determined by a credit reference agency or the lending institution you apply for credit with, it's a calculation of how good you are likely to be with money leant to you. You can obtain your credit report through credit reference agencies such as Experian and Equifax.
Q. How can I improve my credit rating?
A. Rebuilding a bad credit rating is possible, and whilst it may take patient and diligence, it's not as impossible a task as it may seem.
Q. Which banks offer credit cards for people with a bad credit rating?
A. There are a number of credit card issuers who offer cards designed especially for people with a bad credit rating or poor credit history. Including Capital One, Barclaycard, Vanquis Bank and Halifax's Sav Credit 'aqua'.
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THE days of spending £2 and sending off a form to get a mailed copy of your credit file are over. Nowadays these reports can be accessed quickly and easily through providers over the Internet.
Both Equifax and Experian are credit reference agencies used by all of the major banks and building societies to determine just how good you have been with credit, before they decide whether or not they'll lend money to you.
The credit reference agencies determine your credit rating by looking at a range of information. Some of this information is provided by you - family size, salary etc, and the rest is based on information such as CCJs, information from the electoral roll and financial data. This financial data includes details of any missed or late payments, when you have opened credit card accounts in the past and credit limits.
Even if you haven't been turned down for credit, it’s a good idea to check your credit file regularly - perhaps once a year. This way you can check to see if any mistakes have been made, and it’s a good way to check for any instances of fraud.
Gaining access to your credit report online usually has to be paid for by way of a monthly subscription fee and then an additional fee if you actually want to see your credit score.
Free credit report access
However, there are a number of ways to gain access to your free credit report online.
- Experian free trial
Experian offer a free trial, lasting 30 days, and offers full access to your credit report and even access to their customer support if you need to notify them of any mistakes or raise any queries concerning your credit file. Click here to register for your free credit report.
Once the free trial is up you are free to cancel it without being charged anything, or else you can choose to continue with the service for a monthly fee of £6.99.
- Capital One cardholder benefits
The other route to gaining free access to your credit report is through Capital One. Capital One offers all of their credit cardholders the chance to register for free to their 'Identity Alert Service'.
In short this is a partnership with Equifax who will provide you will free automatic alerts by e-mail should anyone apply for credit in your name or if there are any changes to your credit report, plus you'll also get free access to their customer services online or by telephone.
The hidden gem with this free service from Capital One is that on top of the free alerts you'll also receive two completely free credit reports each year. Which means you'll be able to see your Equifax credit report online - twice a year, for free.
And, if you ever want to access it more regularly you'll also be entitled to discounts off Equifax's normal prices.
Capital One offer a range of credit cards catering for all levels of credit rating, including the Capital One Classic credit card, which is designed to specifically help people with a poor credit history to rebuild and strengthen their credit rating.
If you don't have a Capital One credit card - or aren't interested in opening an account with them, then the free Experian credit report is your best bet.
While Equifax can provide you with a credit report at the cost of £11.95, the free Experian credit report will give you all of the information you need to check your credit rating and tell the company of any amendments that need to be made.
Credit reference agencies and online access costs
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Experian |
Equifax |
Callcredit |
CheckMyFile
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| Free Access |
30-day FREE trial at CreditExpert.co.uk
Sign up here
 Cancel by phoning 0800 656 9000 (select option 4) |
Capital One FREE cardholder benefit
View Capital One credit cards |
30-day E-Alerts FREE trial
Sign up here
Cancel by e-mailing care@mycallcredit.com |
n/a |
| Standard one-off cost of online credit report |
Free (with 30-day free trial) |
£11.95 |
£9.95 (£8.95 quarterly membership available) |
£8.95 (Callcredit or Equifax data)
Or £19.95 for a report from all 3 reference agencies (Experian, Equifax and Callcredit) |
| Cost of online credit score |
£5.95 |
£14.95 |
Credit report cost + £4.99 |
Free online calculator (Credit score is not provided by a credit reference agency) |
| Subscription to unlimited credit report access and monitoring service |
£6.99 per month (after 30-day free-trial ends) |
£7.50 per month (3 month minimum period) |
£44.99 (after 30-day free trial ends) |
£14.95 per quater (Experian, Equifax and Callcredit data) |
| Website Address |
www.CreditExpert.co.uk |
www.Equifax.co.uk |
www.MyCallCredit.com |
www.CheckMyFile.com |
| Postal Address |
Consumer Help Service
Experian Ltd
P.O. BOX 7710
Nottingham
NG80 7WE |
Credit File Advice Centre
Equifax plc
P.O. BOX 1140
Bradford
BD1 5US |
Customer Care
MyCallCredit
P.O. BOX 491
Leeds
LS3 1WZ |
CheckMyFile
Credit Reporting Agency Limited
Chynoweth House
Trevissome Park
Blackwater
Truro
TR4 8UN |
| Telephone Number |
0800 656 9000
(Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm) |
0800 783 9421 |
01132 441 555 |
0800 612 0421
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) |
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