Please take a few minutes to read this, it's important and will really help your credit profile...
We're pleased to confirm that we have successfully matched you against your credit profile. However, you do not presently have enough of a credit history to generate a 'full' credit report and credit score that we can show you, instead, your personal credit file is what we call a 'thin file'.
A credit report shows your financial history over the last six years, so any credit you have received, and how reliable you have been in paying this credit back, is all recorded and made into a 'credit file'. This file can then be downloaded and reviewed by you and potential lenders, who use it to help them decide if they should offer you credit or not.
But if you have never had any credit, there is not enough information for the credit reference agency to build a report based on your existing financial history, simply because you don't have one. Instead, they only hold a 'thin file', meaning they have only the most basic information about you, which, although not ideal, gives us a great foundation to start building on.
Our dedicated UK based team are on hand and contactable by telephone, live chat and email, helping to get your credit file established and working hard for you in the world of credit. We're not encouraging you to rush out and get all the credit you can, but having some form of credit, however small, starts to build a credit history in a relatively short space of time. There are many more simple solutions you can start with that can have quite a big impact on your file, these include:
- Sign up for the electoral roll: This helps credit agencies verify your identity and makes you appear stable. You can use this link to register: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- Set up a credit account: Start small with a credit card and pay it off completely every month.
- Open a mobile phone contract: Make sure your mobile phone contract is in your name. If you don't already have one, we can recommend Mega Mobile Deals.
- Make sure your bill's, such as your utility providers, are in your name or joint names, so every payment you make is recorded against your name and address, helping to log and establish a history of regular credit payments which will be added and improve the content of your credit file.
- Try to avoid multiple credit applications or those who perform a 'hard search' (normally banks, credit providers, insurance companies etc) a hard search leaves a footprint on your credit file which can be seen by others, a soft search does not, so always choose a soft search if possible.
- Try using comparison sites, or credit providers who provide eligibility searches (the same as a soft search) which allows you to shop around for the best rates without leaving a footprint on your credit file.
We partner with Transunion to provide you with your credit file. To establish your identity, they will ask you for any ONE of the following documents:
A photocopy of your driving license - or - an original bank statement showing the last three months activity - or - an original utility bill dated within the last three months - or - an original and most recent council tax bill.
If you send nothing, then nothing will happen, other than you will continue to struggle with a thin file for years to come. We want to help you build your file but need your help to do this by sending your paperwork to the following address as soon as possible. Any original paperwork you send will be returned to you directly.
Please post to - UK Credit Ratings Membership, R S Datatech Limited, P O Box 771, Leeds, LS1 9JT.
If you have any further questions, please contact our customer support team who will do everything they can to help, they can be reached by phone on 0161 250 7700 Monday to Friday 8:30am - 6:00pm by email info@ukcreditratings.com or by internet chat on our website ukcreditratings.com