Your credit file contains extensive information that can make or break you when you are attempting to finance an item, obtain a credit card or a personal loan, if you have never checked yours, now is a good time to do so. To check your credit file, you will need to individually (even if you are a married person) write to the two major credit reporting companies, Experian and Equifax, requesting your credit file. Things you will need to provide include any address you have lived at within the last six years, as well as £2.00 in the form of a postal order or a personal cheque, to each credit reporting company.

For Experian, you can reach them at the following address: P.O. Box 8000 Nottingham, NG1 5GX. You make your cheque or postal order payable to: Experian. Additionally, you also have the ability to download an application form at their website http://www.uk.experian.com/consumer/ (you must have Acrobat Reader by Adobe to view this form). You can also order your credit file online at http://www.uk.experian.com/consumer/ or by phone at 0870 241 6212.

For Equifax, you can reach them at the following address: P.O. Box 1140 Bradford, BD1 5US. You make your cheque or postal order payable to: Equifax. Additionally, you also have the ability to download an application form at their website http://www.equifax.co.uk/equifax/consumer/ (you must have Acrobat Reader by Adobe to view this form). You can also order your credit file online at http://www.equifax.co.uk/equifax/consumer/.

After you have applied to receive your credit file, you should obtain the information in around fourteen days. Your credit file will come with an extremely helpful booklet, which will explain certain key aspects to you such as, what you should do if you notice any errors within the file and what you should look for. There are many things you can do to repair your credit, first if you notice any information that is wrong and insufficient you should seek to change it immediately, contact the credit agency and request the information be corrected. This agency has twenty-eight days to respond, if you do not feel the response is satisfactory you have the right to fight it even further by writing the Office of Fair Trading.

Again, every lenders looks at your credit file with intense scrutiny. They will examine it for any defaults or County Court Judgments. It is important when applying for any type of credit that you are aware of what is contained within these files, it is only fair since they will be looking at it as well.

Jeff Lakie is an editor for the Loan Source website. We
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