Rebuilding Your Credit
There's no quick fix – but there is a clear path, and it starts today.
Lenders are most interested in how you have managed money recently. Every month of bills paid on time adds to a new, better record that gradually outweighs the old one. These are the steps that make a real difference.
Your Rebuild Plan
Register to vote
Being on the electoral roll at your current address helps lenders confirm who you are. You can register on GOV.UK in a few minutes.
Check all three files
Get your free reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion and put right anything that's wrong. See our guide to checking your credit file.
Pay everything on time
This matters more than anything else. Setting up direct debits for at least the minimum payment means nothing gets missed.
Use less of your limits
Keeping card and overdraft balances well below their limits shows you aren't relying on credit to get by.
Use a little credit, carefully
A credit builder card with a small limit, used for a regular purchase and cleared in full each month, adds positive history.
Space out applications
Use eligibility checkers first, and leave a few months between hard searches.
Cut old financial links
If you're still linked to an ex-partner with poor credit, ask each agency to remove the connection.
Rebuilding Myths
"A company can wipe my bad credit for a fee."
No. Accurate information can't be removed, and everything a "credit repair" firm can do, you can do yourself for free.
"Checking my score will lower it."
No. Looking at your own file is a soft search, and it never affects your score.
"Having no credit at all is safest."
Not quite. With nothing on your file, lenders have little to judge you on. A small amount of well-managed credit helps.
"Moving house gives me a clean slate."
No. Your credit file follows you, not your address.
Borrowing While You Rebuild
Taking on new credit isn't required to rebuild, and it is rarely a good idea if money is already tight. If you do need to borrow, keep it small, make sure every repayment is comfortably affordable, and repay it exactly as agreed – a loan repaid on time becomes part of your better record. Our bad credit loans page explains how lenders view a file that is on the mend, and why asking for a smaller amount can help.
Rebuilding Questions
How long does it take to rebuild my credit?
You can often see improvement within six months to a year of paying everything on time, and old marks fade further as they age. Everything drops off after six years.
Will closing old accounts help?
Not always. An old account that has been well managed is a positive sign, and closing it can increase the share of your available credit you are using. Close accounts you are tempted to overuse, and keep the rest in good order.