You have low debts compared to your income

Your debts are less than 50% of your annual income. For example, if you owe £5,000 and your earnings are £20,000 per year – your annual debt ratio is 25%. This ratio does not include any mortgages. That’s great. But there’s room for improvement. Your credit score does better when you owe less. Having credit…

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You owe a lot compared to your annual income

If you owe between 50% and 100% of your annual income it can be harder to get a loan. For example, if you owe £10,000 and your earnings are £20,000 per year – your annual debt ratio is 50%. Some lenders may consider that you could become over-indebted. That is, a lender might think you…

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You owe as much as your annual income

You owe more than 100% of your annual income. For example, if you owe £20,000 and your earnings are £20,000 per year – your annual debt ratio is 100%. This ratio does not include any mortgages. Some lenders might consider that you are over-indebted. This is because they may think you owe too much compared…

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Your credit card or overdraft balances are quite high

Lenders generally prefer it when you have access to credit, but aren’t using it. This shows that you are managing your finances well and living within your means. If your balances on credit cards and overdrafts are increasing a lender might think you are using credit cards to pay for your day to day living…

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Why getting taken to court matters

When a lender takes you to court, this is known as a County Court Judgment (CCJ). It is often seen as a last resort. Because of this CCJs are taken very seriously. Consequently if you have a CCJ you’re more likely to be turned down for a loan. The other form of legal action taken…

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An introduction to credit scoring

Credit score is the number one thing most lenders will look at when deciding whether to grant you a loan. Lots of other factors are important. These include missed payments and defaults. County Court Judgments and insolvencies also matter. So does the amount you owe. Importantly credit score is an attempt to ‘rank’ all the…

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