Obtaining A Better Credit Rating

Improving your credit rating or credit score can greatly reduce the interest rate that you pay when repaying your credit cards.

There are a number of steps you can take to improve or enhance your credit score:

The steps to getting a better credit rating are:

1. Find out what the credit bureaus say about you. The main ones are Experian, Equifax and Transunion. You need to order a statement from each bureau as each one holds a different report on you

2. Study the reports that you obtain from Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Sometimes there can be obvious mistakes which you can dispute. If you need to send any documentation to the agencies then they should investigate the dispute within 30 days. An entry which is not checked as accurate by a creditor is removed from the records.

3. Perhaps the best way to get a better credit rating is to pay your credit cards on time. If you are having issues paying credit card statements at the correct date contact the credit card issuer and ask them to move the credit card payment date if necessary. The more the creditors know about your problems paying the credit card bills the better.

4. Build a solid credit history. If you have been denied credit because you do not have enough information on your credit file you can often obtain credit by other means from other companies such as credit unions, or your local bank. Be aware that some credit companies have a much higher lending rate that some of the main lenders. Some credit cards offer a 9 or up to 12 month interest free period - use these to your advantage.