Clearscore
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Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

290 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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Yes, I know the figure doesn't actually mean anything and providers use their own calculations. But I'm nevertheless curious to know why my score is crap. 755 out of 1000, excellent starts at 811. It used to be mid 900s.

I've no missed payments on my record. No CCJs ever. No debts. Rarely use more than 20% of my credit card limits and usually nearer 5%, paid off every month. Own my own house, on the electoral register and have lived there over 10 years. Salary a bit crap but over the median national average.

Two things that might have affected recently was that I got a Sainsbury's Mastercard because I only had Amex and Visa, they put a credit limit on greater than my Visa and Amex put together. But that makes my utilisation even lower.
Also I paid of a recent PCP which I only took out for the sake of a dealer discount.

Could it be the fact of having applied for the card that's knocked it down, in which case it might bounce back in a few months. Or is it just having 5 figures of new credit limit might scare other lenders?

coyft

5,368 posts

240 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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Out of curiosity I just signed up to have a look at my score. It seems like a marketing platform designed to get you to take out credit.

coyft

5,368 posts

240 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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If you click on reports it gives you insights, perhaps the answer is there?

It seems that missed payments, lenders viewing your credit report, credit card cash withdrawals, unsecured loans all have a negative impact on your score.

FriedMarsBar

581 posts

61 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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you could take out a month Experian (£15) and get your full report then cancel.

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

290 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
quotequote all
coyft said:
If you click on reports it gives you insights, perhaps the answer is there?

It seems that missed payments, lenders viewing your credit report, credit card cash withdrawals, unsecured loans all have a negative impact on your score.
No, all 10 insights are fine.

Mr Happy

5,893 posts

249 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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FriedMarsBar said:
you could take out a month Experian (£15) and get your full report then cancel.
Sign up for Money Saving Expert's "Credit Club" (it's free - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/creditclub/ ) and you can get access to your full Experian report updated monthly.

Won't help the OP too much though as ClearScore uses Equifax, but it's all different strings to the bow.

ClearScore don't seem to update the scores that often though, mine has stayed static at around 960 for months and months.

Sarnie

8,366 posts

238 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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Dr Jekyll said:
Yes, I know the figure doesn't actually mean anything and providers use their own calculations. But I'm nevertheless curious to know why my score is crap. 755 out of 1000, excellent starts at 811. It used to be mid 900s.

I've no missed payments on my record. No CCJs ever. No debts. Rarely use more than 20% of my credit card limits and usually nearer 5%, paid off every month. Own my own house, on the electoral register and have lived there over 10 years. Salary a bit crap but over the median national average.

Two things that might have affected recently was that I got a Sainsbury's Mastercard because I only had Amex and Visa, they put a credit limit on greater than my Visa and Amex put together. But that makes my utilisation even lower.
Also I paid of a recent PCP which I only took out for the sake of a dealer discount.

Could it be the fact of having applied for the card that's knocked it down, in which case it might bounce back in a few months. Or is it just having 5 figures of new credit limit might scare other lenders?
"No debts" (meaning almost no history to assess)

"Paid off every month" (See above)

"Own my own house" (assuming no mortgage)

"Got a Sainsburys Mastercard" (Recent credit application)

"Paid off a recent PCP" (See first two points)

All of the above is why your score is lower than you think it should be........if you want a high/strong credit score you need to take on, maintain (not pay off early) credit agreements to build a history of managing debt. You get zero credit for having no debt, no mortgage etc etc......

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

290 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
quotequote all
Sarnie said:
"No debts" (meaning almost no history to assess)

"Paid off every month" (See above)

"Own my own house" (assuming no mortgage)

"Got a Sainsburys Mastercard" (Recent credit application)

"Paid off a recent PCP" (See first two points)

All of the above is why your score is lower than you think it should be........if you want a high/strong credit score you need to take on, maintain (not pay off early) credit agreements to build a history of managing debt. You get zero credit for having no debt, no mortgage etc etc......
But what's caused it to plummet recently?

CoolHands

23,383 posts

224 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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It’s all just a load of st so who cares.

coyft

5,368 posts

240 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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I wouldn’t worry about it, just some computer algorithm. It’s not going to effect your real life.

My score is 1000, from what I can see it’s based on me paying my mobile phone bill and credit card regularly.

coyft

5,368 posts

240 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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CoolHands said:
It’s all just a load of st so who cares.
Exactly.

RoadToad84

971 posts

63 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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Dr Jekyll said:
But what's caused it to plummet recently?
Hard credit searches have a big effect, so any new finance agreements/credit cards etc will see it dropping.

Mine went from 960 to 840 after remortgaging

Sarnie

8,366 posts

238 months

Saturday 3rd September 2022
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Dr Jekyll said:
But what's caused it to plummet recently?
You took out a credit card and paid off a PCP agreement.....

clockworks

7,622 posts

174 months

Sunday 4th September 2022
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I signed up a couple of years ago, mainly to wind up my little sister, who lives on credit.

I earn less than average, haven't had any loans for years, pay my credit cards in full each month, never missed a DD payment, never used my overdrafts.
My score is consistently around 910 to 920.

I spotted something a bit worrying last week though - a financial connection to someone I've never heard of.
I've requested more info on who this person is.

Frankthered

1,687 posts

209 months

Monday 12th September 2022
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Sarnie said:
Dr Jekyll said:
But what's caused it to plummet recently?
You took out a credit card and paid off a PCP agreement.....
This is why - was it also a new PCP that you took out and paid off quickly?

Each credit application will trigger a "hard" search and these impact your score - lenders may conclude that you are applying for credit indiscriminately so are less likely to accept any application.

Last month, I opened a Monzo account just so I could switch it to the new Santander account I've just opened so I'm expecting some impact on my scores for a few months even though I have no intention of borrowing money on the account.

Give it six months or so and you should be back to where you started.

AL83

96 posts

68 months

Monday 12th September 2022
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I sold a property and paid the mortgage off. My score went down by around 150 points as I no longer had the debt which I was servicing monthly.

Simpo Two

92,704 posts

294 months

Monday 12th September 2022
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AL83 said:
I sold a property and paid the mortgage off. My score went down by around 150 points as I no longer had the debt which I was servicing monthly.
And this is irony - a 'credit' score is actually a debt score. In other words, how good you are to make money from. But people now actually work on improving their 'score' - so they can take on more debt and so pay more interest. I have no idea what my score is and no interest in finding out.

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

290 months

Friday 16th September 2022
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My Experian score is apparently a respectable 980 out of 1000, slightly up on last month.

Mr Whippy

32,453 posts

270 months

Friday 16th September 2022
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Simpo Two said:
AL83 said:
I sold a property and paid the mortgage off. My score went down by around 150 points as I no longer had the debt which I was servicing monthly.
And this is irony - a 'credit' score is actually a debt score. In other words, how good you are to make money from. But people now actually work on improving their 'score' - so they can take on more debt and so pay more interest. I have no idea what my score is and no interest in finding out.
Yeah it’s the debt slave score, higher the better you are at paying interest.

Sadly they exist and seem the only viable way of finding out if someone is using your credit identity to borrow money etc.