Keeping score of your credit ratingWritten on the 7 June 2017 by Arrow ![]() Having a good credit score can help you secure the best financial deals, but first you need to understand what your credit score is and what steps you can take to improve it. What is a credit score?Your credit score is based on information collected by credit reporting agencies and documented in your personal credit report. This information includes personal details such as your age and where you live, how much you've borrowed and who from, the number of credit applications you've made and any unpaid or overdue payments. These could relate to a bank loan, rent, mortgage or even an overdue phone bill. Lenders and credit providers such as banks and credit unions use this information to work out how risky it is to lend you money. How do you find your credit rating?The good news is that you can get a copy of your credit file once a year for free as well as your credit score from online sites such as Creditsavvy, Equifax (previously called Veda) and Finder (which uses Equifax scores). Depending on the credit reporting agency, you will receive a number out of 1000 or 1200 that's broken down into five categories, from excellent to below average. If you fall into one of the lower categories, lenders may ask for more information or deny you credit. It's worth checking your credit file before you apply for a loan to make sure the information is accurate and that you haven't been the victim of fraud or identity theft. If there are mistakes, credit providers and reporting agencies are legally obliged to investigate and correct them free of charge.How to improve your credit scoreYou can increase your chances of being approved for a loan by understanding your score, correcting any errors and improving your creditworthiness with some simple actions.
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